


Seven Devils

by antennastohell



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Loki is a little bitch, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2017-12-30 23:23:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antennastohell/pseuds/antennastohell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU in which Thor Odinson has formed an unlikely crush towards a former business tyrant Loki Laufeyson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out Of My Mind

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally written on ff.net, but I'm changing over everything to Ao3. It will be finished here!

When Thor had come home from his nine to five job as an engineer, he was not expecting this. As he jumped off of the metro bus-the number nine that _always_ got him to and from work- he noticed a moving truck parked out front of his apartment building. He adjusted his plaid red and black button up shirt and curiously made his way across the street. As he reached the sidewalk in front of his building, he looked at the truck to see a woman yelling into the back, then turning and yelling at one of the moving men. She was a pale skinned woman, long black hair falling down her back. She had leggings adorning her long legs, complimenting her curves. Her tight athletic top hugged her hips and amplified her breasts. Thor flinched as she continued to scream profanities at the poor men moving the Victorian inspired couch. If he was into women, he would have no doubt gotten an erection just by looking at the female. However, this was not the case. Another figure joined her, climbing out of the back of the truck. The man was dressed in black slacks with a dark green dress shirt, tucked in and rolled up slightly passed his elbows. He was tall and thin with pale skin. He had black hair like the woman beside him, but it only fell past his chin. It was pulled back with gel, not loose like the female‘s. The more Thor stared; he realized they were almost identical. The man was gorgeous in every aspect. And he, unlike the female, gave Thor the erection he was positive he would not get. He cursed and scurried inside, knowing he would have to tell his roommate about this encounter.

Loki pretended to listen to his sister, when in reality he was watching the man stare at the two Laufeyson’s. He raised an eyebrow as the blond haired male walked quickly away into the building Loki would soon call home. A snap of fingers alerted the dark haired male away from his thoughts.

“Yes, my dear sister?” he asked smoothly, said female’s fingers looming near his face. Lekný pull her hand away, placing both on her hips.

“Are you even paying attention? Too busy staring down that hottie?” she asked, flipping her hair back. Loki scoffed and stepped aside for one of the moving men.

“Oh please.”

“That’s the brother I know,” Lekný smirked, looking at her nails that were coated with dark green polish. “Can no one turn your head?” the female inquired. To this, Loki shrugged nonchalantly.

“No one has made it worth my time. You know women do not attract me anyway and they are who I am always around.” the dark haired boy explained as a moving man carried out a case. “Oh, I will take that one.” he said quickly, holding out his hands towards the man.

“It’s heavy.” the brunet male warned, earning a glare from the man who had hired them.

“I am self-sufficient enough to carry my own guitar.” Loki sneered.

“Okay, okay.” the man sighed and watched his employer take the instrument in its case in his arms. He shook his head and disappeared back into his truck. Lekný rolled her eyes and watched her brother hold the guitar childishly in his arms.

“Besides the obsession there, Loki… I think blondie was interested in you.” his twin smirked, folding her arms across her chest. Loki however, did not smile at all. He scoffed and held onto his precious stringed instrument.

“Dear sister, I regret to inform you that he was most likely looking at you.” he rolled his eyes. Lekný laughed loudly and punched her brother in the arm, earning a glare from him.

“Oh dear brother,” she mocked, beginning to walk towards the building. She turned around and walked backwards, yelling after him. “You lie!”

“… I do not!” he smirked slightly and began walking after her. “That man simply looks too straight to be gay!” he retorted, causing his sister to laugh more, a sound that filled the air. It made Loki think of their childhood, which for the most part had been fantastic.

“Loki, my mischievous brother, lies again!” she laughed and turned away, running inside. Her twin stopped walking and sighed, looking up at the apartment building.

“Why must you be so childish…” he trailed off, and then walked ahead towards his new home.

* * *

 

“Jane!” Thor yelled, slamming the door after himself, rattling the picture frames on the wall next to him. When there was no response, he tried again. “Jane!” he bellowed in his lowest voice. At that, noises sounded off in their apartment and a girl ran out in a white towel wrapped around her body. Her long brown hair had stuck to her face and neck, soaked from the shower. She made a skidding stop in front of her roommate and frowned.

“You scared me! You big lug,” she huffed, looking up at the blond male. “Why are you yelling at me? Are you okay?” Jane asked. Thor frowned; slightly insulted by the comment she had made about him, but chose to let it go. He removed his shoes and leaned against the closest wall.

“We have new neighbours!” he smiled, his voice booming as usual. The brunette across from him frowned and rolled her hazel eyes.

“We get new neighbours all the time… You interrupted my shower time for that?”

“No, Jane,” he replied quickly, stretching out his limbs. “Not just _any_ neighbours.”

“… Oh boy.”

“Well, one of them, yes,” Thor smiled his biggest smile. Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, but said nothing. “They look to be twins. I think we should welcome them to our building.” and this caught Jane’s attention. She raised an eyebrow and placed the back of one of her hands against Thor’s forehead.

“Are you okay? You never care about new neighbours… You are always nice, but not _this_ nice.” to this, Thor laughed and made his way past her, walking into the kitchen. Jane sighed and followed after her high school friend.

“Jane, I’m perfectly fine. Have you ever seen me get sick?” he laughed, the whole hearted kind that truly showed Thor’s caring personality. Jane smiled slightly and watched him go through their cupboards.

“Well I have known you for eight years… But you’re right; I’ve never seen you get sick. You lost your voice though a few times.”

“I was captain of the football team. I had to yell a lot.” he replied. “Anyway, my immune system has little to do with what I wanted to ask you.” the blond explained and opened the refrigerator. Jane watched him and raised an eyebrow.

“Will it be quick? I’m pretty much naked.” she mused. Thor leaned into the fridge, welcoming the coolness that hit his face.

“Jane, I don’t care if you’re naked. It’s not like I haven’t seen that before,” the man retorted, looking for a bottle of beer. He smiled when he found what he was searching for, taking the object from the top shelf. “I think we should take it upon ourselves to welcome these new neighbours of ours!” he smiled brightly while standing up straight and closing the door to the fridge. Jane sighed heavily and shook her head.

“You already said this…”

“Dear Jane, I’m not finished,” the blond male chuckled. “I think we should do this by baking them a cake!”

“You mean by Jane baking them a cake,” she frowned, leaning against the counters in their kitchen. “Thor, why do we have to do this?” to this, said male only smiled more.

“You’ll see.”

“Black forest?” Jane asked, finally giving into another one of her friend’s ridiculous schemes. Thor twisted the cap off of his beer with ease and leaned against the counter next to her.

“But of course!”

* * *

 

“We’re really about to go do this aren’t we?” Jane mused, pulling her favourite blue sweater over her head, smoothing it out after she wiggled into it. Thor smiled and raked a hand through his hair, wet from the recent shower. He shrugged into his leather jacket, old but well used, and leaned over to face his friend.       

“Do I smell like alcohol?” he asked her. Jane leaned closer and sniffed him, then stood up straight.

“Nope. Minty fresh.” she said, her tone light and mocking. Thor smiled, arrogant as always, and walked into the kitchen. Jane slipped into her flip flops and adjusted her grey yoga pants as her friend walked back out into the hall, the newly decorated cake held in his two massive hands. “I swear Thor Odison… If you drop that cake, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

“I swear by the gods that I would never let such a thing happen, Jane.” the blond male mused as the little brunette opened their front door for him. He walked past as she sighed and locked the door after them.

“How kind. So, do I get to know why we’re doing this?”

“Just wait. You’ll see! Patience is not a virtue you were born with, Jane Foster.” he scolded lightly as they began to walk to the elevator on their floor. Said female rolled her eyes and stuffed her hands into her sweater pockets.

“Always the charmer, Thor.” she sighed and paused at the button, not knowing to go up or down. “… Did you find out where they live?”

“I knew I forgot something.” Thor snapped, the cake balanced in one hand. Jane pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

“Two hands!”

“Right,” Thor nodded and balanced the cake in his two hands again. “We can push the down button and find out where the live because of the call box.” he said and watched the brown haired female push the down button.

“Who says it’s up yet? They _just_ moved in, Thor.” she sighed. To this, the male shrugged and walked into elevator once it had stopped and opened for them. Jane followed and thanked her lucky stars that no one else was in the elevator. Thor had been known to take up a lot of space in the already small elevator. The neighbours of the building had quickly learned to let the elevator go by if Thor was already there, getting the other one.

“I have a feeling.” and his feeling had been right. The two had arrived to the ground floor and found in the lobby that the call box had the name Laufeyson in brand new black letters, yet to be faded like the rest of the buildings tenants’ names. “A vote to visit the top floor, apartment 1207?” and to this, they both raised their hands, Jane with less enthusiasm.

“1207 it is,” the brunette sighed, hitting the only arrow in front of them. “Is this a friend I don’t know about? I’m honestly confused here, Thor.” she mused as they walked into the elevator. Thor hit the round number 12, the top floor.

“No, I have never met them.” the blond male smiled, innocent as ever.

“Of course,” Jane rolled her eyes. “They live on the top floor too… Must be wealthy.” she remarked as the elevator hit the fifth floor. The taller of the two looked down at her and shrugged.

“They do have the last name Laufeyson. Like the huge banking company.”

“That company is in California. I doubt there is a connection. We are in New York, Thor.” she laughed. The elevator finally reached the twelfth flooring, a ding sounding off before the door slid open. Thor gave his award winning smile before stepping out into the hallway.

“Finally here!” he announced, his deep voice booming with excitement. Jane sighed and stepped out into the hallway.

Calm down and hold that cake steady… This way I guess,” she suggested  and walked ahead of her friend. They made their way down the hall silently, to Jane’s surprise. Thor did not speak once until they reached the door that read 1207 in gold italic letters. “You going to knock?” she asked, breaking the silence. Thor shook his thoughts away and smiled slightly.

“Ah, yes.” he smiled brightly and balanced the cake in one hand. He knocked trice against the wooden door, then retreated his hand back to hold the cake again. Jane blinked as a female voice yelled obscenities before screaming a ‘one second’.

“She seems nice.” Jane muttered before the door swung open, revealing the dark haired woman Thor had seen hours before. She looked at Jane and tilted her head to the side.

“Do I know you?” she asked, before looking up at Thor. “Oh, hello there.” she purred and held out her hand to Thor. Said man smiled and took her hand in his, shaking it enthusiastically. Jane scowled and pinched the bridge of her nose.

‘Yet another woman who thinks Thor is straight.’ the brunette thought and watched the scene before her unfold. 

“My name is Lekný Laufeyson,” she said smoothly after Thor had pulled his hand away. “And who might you two be?”

“I am Thor Odinson and this is Jane Foster, my roommate.” he smiled brightly. “We came to welcome you to the building.” to this, Lekný smiled more.

“That’s so sweet. You even brought a cake.” she chirped.

“Yes, I made it.” Jane said finally.

“Fabulous,” the voluptuous woman waved her off and took the cake from Thor. “Well, come in!” she laughed and walked back into the apartment, leaving the door open.

“… A woman? Really, Thor? This must be a joke.” Jane scowled. Thor laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You will see, Jane.” he smiled and walked into the apartment. Muttering a string of curses, Jane reluctantly followed after her blond friend. They were lead into a classical looking living room, beautiful furniture and paintings decorating the room.

“Wow.” the brunette whistled as the taller female ushered them to sit. They did as she asked and took a seat on the dark green couch. Thor looked around the room and beamed.

“It was my brother’s idea. I’m more modern, but I suppose it looks okay.” Lekný explained. “I’ll go get him.” she smiled and walked off, yelling in a foreign language.

“Brother…” Jane muttered, then looked at Thor with a dead panned expression. “This better not be what I think,” and to this, Thor only smiled. “Thor! I swear to God…” she hissed, stopping when the woman sauntered back into the room with four wine glasses and a bottle of expensive red wine. She watched as a male, almost identical to the female, walked in behind her. Boredom was etched across his features until his eyes fell upon Thor. His eyes narrowed as he apprehensively took a seat on the love seat across from them.

“Who are these people, dear sister?” he asked as Lekný placed a glass in front of him, doing so as well for herself, Thor, and Jane. The female in question smiled as she poured the wine into the four glasses.

“This is Thor and Jane.” she said simply, pointing to each swiftly. “They came to welcome us to the building.”

“Ah.” he said simply, his eyes boring into Thor’s. “Well, that certainly is polite of you both.” to this, Jane nodded uneasily. His eyes shifted to her, narrowing more upon eye contact. Jane shrunk

“… Thor, Jane. This is my rude brother, Loki Laufeyson.” the female rolled her eyes and sat down next to her twin.

“I care not for names.” Loki sniffed, taking a sip of wine, his gaze fully focused on Jane.

‘Why is he staring at me like that?’ she thought, the uneasy feeling making her shift in her seat.

“Why must you be unforgivably rude, my dear brother? Forgive him, he’s too uptight for his own good.” she said easily, waving a hand in her brother’s face. Loki glared at her, then returned to stare at Jane.

“You must be his girlfriend.” at this, both Jane and Thor almost spit out their wine. They swallowed their wine and Jane was the first to speak.

“I’m his roommate!”

“She’s a high school friend!” Thor assured the twins. Lekný sucked her teeth and smiled.

“… Hm.” Loki nodded and returned to looked at Thor. Jane coughed and looked at the two twins.

“So, where did you move from?”

“California,” the other female replied, watching her brother absentmindedly. “Our family owns a banking company… You may have heard of it.” she sniffed. Jane leaned back against the couch and glanced at her roommate, who’s eyes had yet to leave Loki’s.

“I have. Thor and I both go to that bank.” and this seemed to please the dark haired woman across from Jane. She took a sip of wine and looked at her brother.

“Hear that, my dear brother?” a nod was all she got in return, his look never wavering. Jane met Lekný’s piercing green eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

‘Well… This is awkward.’ Jane thought, gnawing on her bottom lip. The woman across from her smirked and shifted her gaze to the kitchen door.

“How about you come help me dish up the lovely cake you brought, Jane.” she said lightly, her bitterness now lost. Jane rolled her eyes and stood up after Lekný had disappeared through the door of the kitchen.

‘Sure… Doesn’t hate me anymore. Because I don’t date Thor. What a bitch.’ the brunette thought bitterly and gave the two males one last look, to see the gaze had yet to break between them. She sighed and entered the kitchen to see Lekný leaning against the dark green counter.

“I thought you might have felt the tension like I did. Wanted to get out. Am I right?” she asked smoothly. Jane watched her with a deadpanned expression, but shrugged as she walked over to the other female.

“I guess so. He is my friend.”

“What happened with you two?” the dark haired woman asked, nails tapping against the surface of the counters. “Because I think there’s more to it than roommates, dear Jane.”

‘Why do they say dear so much? Their politeness is so fake.’ the younger woman thought with slightly disdain. “… Why is it any of your business? Does it affect your plans you have for my friend? He’s not into women much.” she managed to say without much malice. Lekný faux pouted and placed her hands on her hips.

“You’re quite the bitter little girl,” the fair skinned woman chimed, a sly smile ghosting her blood red lips. “As attractive your blond friend is, I am not setting out to seduce him.” and to this, Jane frowned more. If this woman did not want Thor, why would she ask? Regardless, Jane took a deep breath before replying.

“We dated in high school. It ended with mutual agreement. We didn’t work out like we both hoped,” Jane simply. “Now can I know why you asked?”

“For my extremely uptight brother of course!” the older woman laughed, but spoke with eager quietness. “I have never seen a man lasting in a staring contest with my brother in a very long time. It may not seem like it, but that shows my stoic younger brother holds some interest in your friend.” she smirked. Jane blinked wildly, but she was not overly surprised. Thor, while simple and idealistic most times, was a captivating male to many.

“Loki? He’s…” Jane trailed off, which caused Lekný to burst into laughter.

“Of course he’s gay. It is bright as day. Even so, not many people catch his eye. This Thor, however, managed to rustle his feathers this afternoon. Whether he denies it or not, my brother does have interest in your friend,” the dark haired female smiled, removing the cover to the cake. “Is this black forest?” she asked, her voice melting into pure joy.

“Thor will be happy to hear that, I’m sure. His ego is relatively the size of Texas,” Jane mused crossing her arms across her chest. “And yes, it’s my favourite.”

“Jane Foster,” Lekný began, removing a knife from the knife block on the counter. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

‘Hurray.’ Jane rolled her eyes and smiled slightly.


	2. Pretty Face

If the tension was any thicker at the moment, Loki believed both he and the blond male across from him would choke on it. He inwardly found himself enthralled with the blues of Thor’s eyes. They looked as if a storm was brewing in them.

Loki was curious.

“Do you have any relation to the Odinson family in California?” he finally asked, his voice smooth. Thor blinked, breaking the staring contest. “The very one that owns the technology company?”

“… Yes. What of it?” Thor managed to say to the captivating male across from him. Loki straightened his posture and took a sip of wine before replying.

“What is an Odinson doing in New York?”

“The same reason why you’re here, Loki,” the name sounded so beautiful to his ears, ringing in his head. Said male tensed, before folding his hands in his lap politely. “The corporate world is not for me.”

“That is where you are wrong,” the dark haired male sniffed. “I did not leave for that reason. I left because I was too good. Cut throat even. My father sent me on a semi-permanent vacation,” Thor looked the skinny male over and regarded that he did not seem the type at first. However, the more the pale skinned man glared him down, Thor did in fact see where the “cut throat” attitude was hidden behind his arrogant façade he wore. “So if you do not do business, what do you do?” the smaller of the two asked. Thor blinked and smiled brightly then.

“I’m an engineer. I design corporate buildings with a few close friends.” the blond male replied, earning a small content ‘hmpf’ from Loki.

“Pay well?”

“Indeed. I have little means for money, though. I donate a lot of it.” this caused the dark haired male to raise a single eyebrow in interest.

“Interesting. I thought you would have been the selfish type. What kind of charity work is it that you do, Thor?” he asked. Said man felt his heart flutter as Loki said his name, but shook his head of his thoughts.

“More so my cousin that does the charity work. She builds schools in Africa with a non-profit organization. I just donate money. I actually visited the school I donated money to build last year. It’s a lot of fun.” the bigger man laughed, his outburst echoing through the apartment. Loki watched him and couldn’t help but smile slightly. The laughter felt so warm in such a tense situation.

“Sounds exhilarating,” the raven haired man mused before looking at his watch. Thor watched curiously as the man in front of him tensed. Vivid green eyes looked up, no longer amused in the least.

“You have to leave now.” the man said, his voice stoic as he stood up swiftly.

“If I said anything-“ the bigger of the two began, but was cut off by the smaller of the two.

“No. I said leave. Take the girl with you.” he spoke evenly. Thor struggled for a reply, but the dark haired man walked off briskly before one could come to mind. The blond stood up and looked at the spot where the other male sat only seconds before. His eyes shifted to Jane and Lekný as they walked into the living room, chatting about something that Thor could not register. The girls stopped and looked around the room, surprised to see only one man.

“Where did Loki go?” Jane asked, her smile slipping as Thor looked at her like a lost puppy. Lekný looked at her watch and frowned.

“Loki had things to attend to, I’m sure,” she tried to explain. “I must accompany him, so I’m afraid you two must leave. It was nice meeting you both though.” she smiled and put down the two pieces of cake in her hands. Jane frowned, but nodded slightly as she placed the cake down as well. “Alright. Talk soon?” she asked. Lekný nodded and hurried the two towards the door.

“Of course,” she smiled and opened the door after the two had placed their shoes on. “Goodnight, Thor and Jane.” the raven haired female said and closed the door after them. Jane nodded a good bye, and then looked up at her friend, unease evident in his features.

“That was weird. What happened, Thor?” she asked as said male stared at the door in front of them.

“He looked at his watch, and then told me I had to leave. His voice was cold.” Thor explained quietly, his shoulders heavy with worry of a man he barely knew.

“Huh… even more weird.” Jane shrugged.

“He’s different alright.” the blond smiled slightly. Jane smirked and elbowed her long-time friend in the side.

“Do I sense a little crush?” to this, the male looked down at his roommate.

“It would be a lie if I said I didn’t.”

* * *

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tony, a co-worker of Thor’s exclaimed loudly over the sound of construction. “You have the hots for a guy? When the hell did this happen?” he asked, poking the eraser side of his pencil into one of Thor’s pectorals. The blond laughed full heartedly at his friend’s question, the mood from last night no longer affecting him.

“I just met him yesterday. Tony, you should see him,” Thor smiled brightly. “He’s stunning!” he announced. The older of the two watched his friend and raised an eyebrow.

“Is he any hotter than blondie over there?” Tony inquired, pushing his thumb in the direction of the new head of construction the boss of Shield Construction had hired. Thor looked over and scoffed softly.

“Without a doubt, Mr. Stark. Don’t forget, there still is a Mrs. Stark.” the blond male laughed. Tony whistled and smirked.

“Can’t wait to meet this great catch,” he said and looked down at his clip board. “Divorcement papers are getting faxed for me to sign today, big guy.” the older man chuckled. Thor smiled and watched the construction around them.

“How are you two?” he asked, earning a grunt from the shorter male.

“Me and Pepper?” Tony asked, looking up from their blue prints. “Like we never got married. She’s seeing a guy already. Harold was his name I think.” he shrugged. Thor watched a crane lift yet another beam before looking at his friend once more to see him staring at the newest construction director.

“No hard feelings?”

“God no,” Tony waved a hand nonchalantly in the air, his eyes never changing target. “Tony Stark wasn’t meant to marry anyway.”

“I suppose so,” Thor chuckled and watched Tony laugh as the blond male caught him staring. “Nice one.”

“Did you say coffee? What a great idea, compadre,” the brunet answered, looking towards a red-headed woman. “Hey Natasha! We’re gonna do a coffee run! Want something?” he yelled. Said female looked up and stretched.

“White chocolate mocha! No whipped cream!” she hollered back, causing the brown haired male beside her to cover his ears. Tony flashed a thumbs up and fished his keys out of his back pocket.

“Let’s go, amigo.” he said hurriedly and made his way off of the construction site. Thor shook his head and walked after his co-worker.

* * *

 

“In all the years I’ve known you, no one has fazed you like that. What’s going on there?” Thor asked as they stood in line at one of the local Starbucks. The brunet blinked and looked at his taller friend. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

“I have no idea. Maybe marriage ruined Tony Stark’s confidence. I feel old.” he laughed dryly. Thor frowned as the laugh lacked all humour.

“Tony, you’re thirty-two,” he rolled his blue eyes. “Not eighty-two. You’re still young!” the blond exclaimed as Tony began to order. As he paid, he smiled slightly.

“I guess you’re right, big guy. I’m still a billionaire play boy. Married or not.” the brunet chuckled and winked at the young blonde barista. The female looked away, flustered as she told her co-worker the order. The two walked over to the end to wait for their drinks and Tony couldn’t help but smirk.

“Never mind, I’ve still got it,” the older of the two announced, looking at Thor when he said nothing in return. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, before following Thor’s absent stare. It landed on a pale dark-haired male and Tony clicked his tongue. “Oh.”

“That’s him!” Thor whispered once he came out of his blank stare.

“The guy you have the hots for?” Tony asked as he took the first of their drinks and placed it into a tray. “I’d tap that. Seems kinda lethal though… Probably a freak in bed.” the older of the two summed up, rubbing his beard methodically.

“Tony!” Thor scolded, becoming flustered at what his co-worker had said.

“Too far? My bad.” Tony shrugged as they watched the dark haired man order. “You know his name?”

“Loki,” Thor replied. “Loki Laufeyson.” to this, Tony gapped.

“A fellow billionaire!” the male clapped. “He _is_ from the banking company, right? The similarity he bears of his father is uncanny. I can’t believe that didn’t click.” the brunet exclaimed.

“You know his father?” the blond asked as the dark haired male finally saw Thor. His glare hardened as he walked over to wait near them.

“We used to play golf until he moved. He’s got a wicked swing.” Tony muttered to Thor as Loki stopped near them, his stance rigid as always.

“Oh look, it’s you,” Loki rolled his eyes, and then proceeded to look the two men over. “Aren’t you two… Dirty.”

“Same tongue as well.” Tony laughed, earning an elbow in the side from Thor.

“Hello, Loki.” Thor smiled brightly, ignoring his grumbling friend.

“Hello, Thor. I was not aware that you knew Mr. Stark.” the pale skinned male commented. Thor looked at the two and nodded slightly.

“I have known him for a few years. Ever since I moved to New York. He helped me get my job.” the blond appeased as Loki’s eyes scanned over them again.

“I see,” Loki acknowledged, his vivid green eyes locking with Tony’s dull blue. “It has been awhile.”

“Ten years if I’m correct,” the fellow billionaire answered easily, not giving into the hard stare Loki gave. “You’ve sure grown up, kid.” the last word caused the youngest of the three’s face to contort. Even looks gave way to a snarl so cruel it made Thor back up a step.

“Kid? Do not dare, Stark,” Loki hissed, his eyes alight with malice. “Lest we forget that I toppled your last company. The one that made you rich.” to this, Tony stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“And then your daddy had to intervene with your crazed rule over the business world. Loki, you’re a great business man, but you are too young and already filled with cruelty. Calm down.” the bearded man argued, anger yet to get to him. However, it got to Loki quite easily. He hissed again, a chilling sound to the other two males. He took the drink the blond barista called out for and straightened his posture.

“Watch yourself, Mr. Stark.” Loki growled and walked past them, graceful as always. “Good day, Thor.” he added and left swiftly.

“Wow.” Tony blurted out. Thor furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at his friend.

“Is he usually like that?”

“He never used to be. However, he is like that when it comes to the business world. He’s ruthless. Maybe you should reconsider getting on that,” Tony mused and grabbed the other two drinks he had forgotten about. “The guy has more mood swings than a woman during PMS.”

“Reconsider? Never,” Thor defended, watching Tony place the two drinks in the tray. “He just needs someone to loosen him up.” he amended as they left the coffee shop. The older of the two scoffed and took his keys out of his back pocket, hitting the unlock button for his Acura NSX.

“Good luck, big guy.” the billionaire snickered.


	3. Holocene

Natasha watched two of her male friends carefully as the group quietly sat at their usual booth that night after a long day of work. She took a sip of her wine and placed the glass down next to Clint's beer glass. The two exchanged a glance before looking at their two hardly ever silent co-workers.

"What's the deal with you two?" Clint finally asked, earning the attention from said males.

"You both look like someone shot your dog." Natasha mused lightly. Tony traced a pattern into the sweat on his beer glass and shrugged.

"You know, I'm not really a dog person." Tony answered as Thor looked at him.

"Stark."

"Okay, okay," the oldest of the group amended. "So the big guy and I didn't have the best day."

"And why is that?" the red-headed female asked, absent-mindedly watching Clint and Bruce thumb wrestle. Tony watched as well momentarily, and then looked back to meet his co-worker's determined stare.

"We met Loki Laufeyson today." was all he could bring himself to say. Natasha raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"The same Loki that-"

"Nat, Nat, Nat," Tony chanted, cutting her off quickly. "I don't want to talk about Stark Industries. Let's never revisit that. Got it? Good. Thanks, babe." he said, laughing off the whole past failure.

"Of course, Tony dearest," she smirked. "So Thor, what's your problem with Loki?" to this, Thor said nothing.

"Let the big guy sulk," the billionaire laughed. "Thor has the hots for the weasel and he doesn't know how to approach him, since the guy is such a puzzle to figure out. He has no idea how to talk to him. He needs some Tony mojo." said male mused. Natasha rolled her eyes and waved the older man off.

"Tony mojo?"

"You can't deny it." Tony winked. Natasha gave her co-worker a 'bitch please' face before looking up at the diner door opening.

"Right… Hey, Steve!" she called out, causing Tony to choke on his mouth full of beer. His eyes snapped to the front of the diner, where the male Natasha yelled for stood. As soon as their gazed locked, Tony pulled away and glared at the red-head.

"You invited him!?" he whispered, frowning. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I know you dig him," his co-worker rolled her eyes, smirking. "Come on, use that Tony mojo." she encouraged and looked up as Steve stopped near their table.

"Hi Natasha, Clint, Bruce," the blond smiled politely. "I don't believe I've been introduced to you two."

"They aren't much fun tonight anyway. Bad day." Clint waved the two sulking adult men off. Steve glanced at Tony, before looking at Clint.

"Those days suck," he agreed and sat down next to Thor. "But hey, the name is Steve Rogers." to this, Thor looked at him and smiled slightly.

"Thor Odinson. Congrats on the job." he answered and took Steve's hand, shaking it twice before letting go.

"Thanks. Nice to meet you, Thor," he chuckled, then leaned over and glanced at the bearded man. "You must be Tony." to this, the brunet glanced at Steve slightly before going back to attend to his beer.

"Tony Stark. Yup. That's me." he muttered and flashed a hesitant peace sign before talking a gulp of beer. Steve raised an eyebrow and looked at Natasha to see her pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So Steve," the only female in the group began, trying to make the evening less awkward. "Are you from New York?" to this, Steve smiled as he straightened his posture.

"New York born, ma'am," he laughed softly. "I'm guessing you weren't born here."

'Jesus, is he  _ever_ kind,' Natasha thought, smiling slightly. "No. I was born in Russia. My parents immigrated here when I was ten," she answered. She looked at the restaurant briefly and returned to look at Steve when she saw a waiter approaching. "Do you want anything to drink?" to this, Steve chuckled and drew an imaginary circle on the table top.

"I'm good with water. Not much of an alcohol guy. Thanks anyway, Natasha," he answered and watched the red headed girl order a water for him quickly. After the waiter left he looked at Clint and smiled slightly. "So, topic of conversation?" at that, Clint looked up at the blond and shrugged.

"Nothing really. Grumpy one and two are having boy issues. What else is new?"

"Boy issues?" the newest of Clint's co-worker's asked, tilting his head in confusion. Weren't they old enough to not have such issues? He supposed not. Clint snorted and nodded.

"You heard it right. Surfer boy has issues with a guy he's crushing on, while the playboy has issues with the guy grumpy number two is going after. What's his name? I came in after Stark Industries crashed and burned." Tony glared and sat up straight at the comment.

"Hey Barton," the bearded man muttered. "I thought you were here for the not revisiting part. Or is the noise passing through one ear and out the other?" said male waved a hand away as Bruce rolled his eyes.

"His name is Loki." the only person with glasses answered as he stacked the jams into an elaborate tower. Thor thumped his head down on his folded arms and grunted at the name, while Steve snapped, his eyes wide.

"Whoa! Loki Laufeyson?"

"You know Loki?" Thor asked before anyone else, his head snapping back up. Steve smiled awkwardly, settling back down as the waiter served his glass of water.

"There is only one person I know that could have such an odd name," Steve explained, taking a sip of water before continuing. "We went to the same high school. My dad was in the army and we had to move to California for my senior year." to this, Thor's smile finally broke across his features.

"So you could tell me something about him? Were you two friends?" the other blond asked. Steve took a deep breath and shrugged.

"Somewhat. We were almost opposite sides of the high school scene," the male answered, blinking at the awed expression Thor held. "We were Chemistry partners… And Biology partners…" he sighed. "And we did a huge English project together. He was quite the smart kid. He graduated third in our class."

"That is excellent!" Thor exclaimed, clapping. "I am having trouble with what to say to him. I feel as if he looks down upon me whenever we speak. I run out of words and the cold looks unnerve me." the older of the two spoke quickly. Steve looked thoughtful; processing everything Thor managed to spit out.

"So you want to ask him out and not fail?" Steve asked.

"Pretty much." Thor summed up, smiling brightly. The other blond ran a hand through his hair and chuckled slightly.

"Alright. Well, Loki intimidates people. He did all of my senior year. I have to admit even I was nervous," Steve explained. "He's got a sharp tongue and can wreck someone's day in a matter of seconds."

"Or corporation." Clint sneered.

"Shut the fuck up, Barton." Tony groaned.

"Both of you need to shut up," Natasha warned, ceasing further exchange between the men. "Go on, I want to know more."

"Alright," Steve amended, taking a sip of water. 'Never thought I'd be talking about Loki again.' he thought and looked back at the only other blond. "I recommend showing him kindness. He loves the attention and thing of grandeur. Any fancy parties coming up?" he asked. Everyone but Steve looked at Tony after the word 'party' was mentioned alongside 'fancy'. The oldest of six groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No fucking way am I letting Loki come," he protested until his eyes fell upon a sad Thor. "Not the kicked puppy look…" the billionaire trailed off.

"Tony," Thor begged. "If the roles were switched I would do it for you." this caused the brunet to give an exasperated sigh.

"Fuck. Fine. Don't let him near me, Thor. I'm not putting up with his smug attitude at my charity event." Tony warned as he made contact with a smiling Steve.

"And what about Steve?"

"I guess you'll need him for damage control," the older of the two nodded. "So why not?" he shrugged, his gaze locked with Steve's.

"Damage control. Right." Bruce rolled his eyes again, adjusting his glasses.

"Shut up." Tony muttered as Steve broke their gaze with a sweet smile, beginning to chat with Natasha and Clint.

"Shutting up," Bruce said as Tony flicked over the breakfast spread tower. "Thanks Tony."

"You are so welcome it hurts."

* * *

Lekný watched her brother pace back and forth across their living room, taking a sip of wine as Pachelbel's Cannon played quietly in the background. "Wait, so you let Thor and Mr. Stark rustle your jimmies?" she asked, almost bursting into laughter as she posed the question. Loki looked up from the floor his was walking on and frowned at his sister.

"I know not what that means," her twin scoffed and continued his pacing. Lekný rolled her eyes and kicked her feet back and forth as she lay on her stomach across their couch. "However, Stark's comments were far from endearing."

"Never mind… Can you blame him, brother?" she asked, taking another sip of wine. Her quiet evening was far from a success and looked to be ruined now. "You did bring down the company that made him rich in one foul swoop of your talons." the dark haired woman explained.

"I care not. I cannot stand him." the male twin spat. Lekný sighed and sat up, placing her wine down on the coffee table. She got off of the couch and smoothed down her night gown as she straightened her posture.

"Oh I know that much, my dearest brother," she extolled, walking over to him. She placed both hands on his shoulders and looked into his vivid green eyes. "But what of Thor?" to this, Loki's expression hit a momentary snag before becoming one of utter indifference.

"What of the oaf?" he asked, trying to pass of his curiosity as he closed his eyes.

Lekný saw right through it.

"I know you are beguiled by him, brother," the female twin spoke softly. "What has you so taken with him?" she asked. They stood still, both in a loss of words as Pachelbel's Cannon continued to play its melody. Loki finally opened his eyes and locked his stare with his sister.

"This is where you are mistaken," he finally said. "He is nothing like my type." Loki explained haughtily. Lekný scoffed and folded her arms over her chest. They stared into each other's eyes before the male twin ripped his gaze away.

"I know you are lying!" she began as her brother walked out of the living room. "Why do you always have to be cold!?" to this, Loki turned around in the hallway and stared his sister down.

"As if he deserves my interest! I'm not beguiled with him! As soon as father allows me to resume my position, I will not hesitate to leave!" he yelled, his eyes flashing with such a carnal anger it caused the female to flinch.

"I hope he never lets you back," she responded, her tone firm. Loki's face became void of all anger, leaving behind nothing but a blank stare. "He wants to get to know you but you're selfish. I can't believe you're still thinking about that stupid job!"

"Why would I think of anything else!?" the male twin shot back. "I am done speaking to you, sister. Goodnight." he seethed and walked off down the hallway. Lekný looked down at the floor and winced as her brother's bedroom door slammed closed.

"Oh Loki," she sighed as she sat down on the cool wooden floor. "What am I going to do with you?"


	4. Hidden Away

Thor woke up every morning at 6. His routine was Shower, Eat, and then jog for an hour. On this Saturday morning, it was no different. He dressed for his run and walked into the kitchen were a half asleep Jane was staring at her cereal.

"Good morning, Jane!" the male bellowed, ducking his head into the fridge. "Are you going running with me?" to this, Jane looked in her friend's direction and sniffed.

"I think I'll skip it… Almost positive I have a cold coming on," she groaned. "Have fun though." Thor grabbed an apple out of the fridge and began to wash it off in the sink.

"Not good. Well, feel better. On my way back I'll get soup from the grocery store," the blond male promised as he bit into the apple. "Need anything else?" Jane looked thoughtful at this and looked at her cereal.

"Umm. We don't have eggs. I didn't get around to buying some ever since we made that cake. Oh! Make sure you get detergent. The sale started yesterday." she reminded the taller of the two. Thor leaned against the counter and took another bite of his apple.

"Alright. Soup, Eggs and detergent. That it?" he questioned, watching Jane pluck a tissue out of the box beside her, sneezing into it. "Attractive."

"Oh baby, you know it," she rolled her eyes and threw the tissue towards the garbage, missing completely. She cursed and got up, walking over to put the tissue in its rightful place. "Now that you mention it… I could use more tissue. It's not on sale, but hey, I can pay you back."

"No need. You helped me on Thursday," he waved her off and finished his apple. "Soup, eggs, detergent, and tissue. Got it." Thor smiled and ruffled the brunet's hair after throwing the apple core in the small compost bin under the sink.

"Just go!" she laughed, slapping the big hand away. Thor signalled her a thumbs up and left their shared apartment. He made his way down the hall towards the elevator and sighed as he pushed the down arrow.

'How am I even supposed to ask Loki? What if he says no?' the blond thought, his eyebrows furrowing. 'This is stupid! Why am I so worried? If he says no, he says no… Ugh, what am I thinking? If he says no I'll be destroyed. I'm pathetic.' Thor rubbed his temples as the elevator dinged open. Before he could look up, an exasperated sigh sounded off.

"Is it too much to ask to not see you for one day?" the tone sour. The blond's eyes fell on Loki, who was dressed in similar attire as himself. A smile broke over the older one's face as he walked into the elevator.

"Good morning, Loki." the taller of the two smiled. The pale skinned male raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly.

"… Good morning, Thor," he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Of course you would be the jogging type."

"Of course! Jane got me into it, but I find it relaxing," Thor replied, watching Loki intently. Said male rolled his eyes and walked out of the elevator as it opened to the main lobby. Thor followed, quickening his pace to walk next the dark haired man. "I was wondering…" he began, earning a glance from Loki.

"Wondering what?" the younger of the two asked, a small spark of interest in his vivid green eyes. Thor smiled and looked ahead.

"If you maybe wanted to go running together. I mean, it's okay if it's something you do alone because everyone has that thing they like doing by their self and I don't want to impose." the blond blabbered, opening the door for Loki. The pale skinned man walked through the door, Thor following after him. He stopped out front of the apartment and looked up at nervous blue eyes.

"If you promise to stop with the banter," Loki began, looking away. "I suppose I would not mind having a running partner." to this, Thor beamed and clapped loudly.

"Great!" he said as Loki jogged past him.

"Come on then!" he called back. Thor looked at the younger's man butt, hugged by tight running shorts. "And stop looking at my ass!"

"I was not!" Thor argued, but ran to catch up with Loki quickly. He slowed to a jog when he caught up to said man.

"Mmhmm." the shorter of the two nodded. "Whatever you say. Now jog, no talking." he commanded and looked ahead. As much as Thor wanted to say something, the little voice in his head warned him to get on Loki's good side. If he wanted the younger to warm up to him at all, he would have to play it his way, not his own.

'Jog now, ask later.' Thor smiled, looking ahead.

* * *

"I will admit one thing," Loki began, breathing heavily once they had finished their jog, which had stretched to almost two hours. "You do not whine like my sister." he said easily. Thor took a deep breath and smiled brightly.

"Well, thank you, I guess," the blond chuckled as they walked past the parking lot of a grocery store. "Ah! Are you busy today?" the older of the two asked as he stopped walking. Loki stopped as well and turned to look at Thor.

"Not really, no," the dark haired male replied. "Why?" to this, the taller of them took a deep breath before continuing.

"Do you mind if we stop by the grocery store? Jane is sick and I have to pick up soup, eggs, and a few other things. It will be quick." Thor vowed, watching his new running partner anxiously. Said male looked thoughtful before shrugging his narrow shoulders.

"I suppose we could do that," he nodded, amused by the bright smile that followed. "It does not take much to get you excited, does it, Odinson?" he smirked and began walking across the parking lot with him. Thor laughed and retied his hair quickly.

"I guess not. So, if you aren't busy after that, if I gave you a chance to shower and such, would you oppose to me taking you for drinks later tonight?" Thor asked as the approached the grocery store. Loki blinked and quickly looked ahead. He said nothing in return as they entered the store, conflicted on how to answer.

'It could not hurt. It is not a date or anything,' Loki thought, watching Thor grab a basket to put his items in. 'Then why are you so nervous to answer?' the voice in his head remarked, causing him to hold his breath before letting it out in a long sigh. "I would not oppose to that. As long as you pay." he sniffed, trying to act as even as possible. Thor grinned and felt his stomach flutter with butterflies at Loki's answer.

"Excellent. How about, six?" he asked, looking at his watch to see it was only about eight in the morning. Loki nodded and followed Thor as he made his way to the eggs.

"Sounds good," the pale skinned male agreed. Thor looked back at him and smiled a smile so honest and caring it almost shattered Loki's cool façade. Green eyes shifted away, but made their way back as Thor looked away, grabbing a carton of eggs. 'This man will be the end of me.' he thought, his eyebrows furrowing. However, deep down, Loki knew he did not mind as much as he led on.

After about twenty minutes and several more items than needed, Thor finally seemed satisfied with what he had.

"Alright, I think that's It." the older of the two men said thoughtfully. Loki looked at the basket of things and smirked slightly.

"That is not  _just_ soup, eggs, and few other things." the younger mused, watching Thor wave him off.

"She'll appreciate it in the long run."

"Hmm, if you say so," Loki shook his head. "Are you always like this?" he asked.

"Like what?"

"Unorganized. When I go shopping, I make a list and I stick by it. You go in with a purpose and end up spending less. Really, it  _is_ more efficient that way." Loki scolded softly, earning a loud laugh from Thor.

"You sound like my mother."

"Fabulous." Loki answered sarcastically.

"If it helps," Thor chuckled as they made their way to one of the lines, which at almost eight-thirty in the morning, weren't that long. "I like my mom a lot. It's my father you would be insulted to be compared to."

"Not close to him?" Loki asked. Thor looked absent-mindedly at a gossip magazine and sighed.

"Not really. He wants me to be a business tycoon and I'd rather not be in that," Thor explained. "I always hated the job he had." Loki frowned when he saw Thor's features give way to sadness. The expression made him uncomfortable.

"Why is that?"

"When I was little, my father would come home from work and just yell at my mother for little things. It was if she was the stress ball for him to squeeze and it always unnerved me. I'd always think, 'Why does he do that? I would never talk to the one  _I_ love like that.' and my mom always took it. There is no excuse for it. Mores ways to relieve stress." the older of the two answered as he placed the items on the little conveyer belt. Loki listened and sighed, thinking back to what he had said last night. Guilt gnawed at the pit of his stomach as he closed his eyes. Had he really said such things to his sister? The man in front of him  _was_  deserving interest and Loki knew it. Deep down he knew that Thor was the type that would give him everything he wanted, but the emotional walls Loki had put up wouldn't let the older man in so easily. Hard-headedness gave way and Loki shook his head of such negative thoughts which caused him such guilt.

"Everyone has baggage," Loki agreed, as the person ahead of them finished paying for their things. "You aren't alone." he finished, his eyes opening to look directly into Thor's wide baby blues.

"You mean you-"

"Pay attention. You have to pay." Loki cut in, gesturing to the young female smiling expectantly at Thor. The taller of the two blinked, but begrudgingly began talking to the girl as she rang in his purchases. Loki watched him and for once in his life, he was scared. Scared of the walls he put up for he knew someone had finally come along that meant to knock every last one down.

* * *

"Jane!" Thor shouted as he slammed the door, one of the portraits next to him falling off of the wall and crashing to the floor. "... Oops."

"Seriously?" Jane asked as she shuffled out of the kitchen, staring at the broken frame of her and Darcy, Jane's best friend. "We have to talk about this door slamming." to this, Thor gave her a sheepish smile.

"I can't help it! I'm so excited!" he boomed, walking quickly into the kitchen. "Guess who I ran into?" he yelled from the other room. Jane sniffled and rubbed her aching forehead. She knew she should have had that second cup of coffee.

"You are cleaning that mess up," the brunette scolded. "But I don't know... Loki?" she guessed, rolling her eyes as she slowly walked back into the kitchen. Thor placed the groceries on the counter then looked back at Jane, shocked.

"Sometimes I think you have ESP." the blond muttered, surprised she knew him so well. Jane sighed and collapsed into the chair she had seldom moved from since she awoke that morning.

"Not really. It doesn't take a genius to know that you're in love with the guy and you've known him for three days. That and nothing would excite you more. Unless you won a year supply of Pop Tarts," the female deduced. "And based on the likelihood of either, Loki is the better guess."

"I suppose that makes sense," Thor said thoughtfully as he began to unpack the groceries. "I can't help it Jane."

"I know, I know. You see a seemingly lost cause and you instantly want to fix it. Added bonus that he's mysterious, handsome, and elegant. Every girls dream," Jane drawled, blowing into one of her last tissues. Thor sighed softly and opened a can of soup for his roommate, pouring it into the pot he grabbed from one of the many bottom cupboards. "Do I need to call for a Tony intervention?"

"No!" Thor protested, whirling around, pot in hand. "No Tony. Please no Tony."

"Fine... Alright, go on with what you were going to say. I doubt just seeing the guy would make you  _this_  happy. If it was, I don't care what you say, I'm calling Stark." Jane said pointedly, too tired to deal with her love struck friend. Thor chuckled uneasily and placed the pot on one of the burner, turning the dial to a four before turning back to face Jane.

"Alright, so you know how I went for a run this morning?"

"Vaguely. I was conked out on Gravol to be honest." Jane admitted.

"I didn't know this. You should've gotten rest. Anyway, I met up with Loki on the elevator and he agreed to go jogging with me!" Thor explain, beaming the whole time. Jane looked up from her tissue box and rolled her eyes.

"So I've been replaced by a boy? I thought the bros before hos applied to us too," Jane mocked before sneezing into another tissue. She looked at Thor, who seemed frustrated with her cutting in. "Okay, sorry. Go on."

"I assure you he hasn't replaced my Jane," Thor vowed. "Regardless, we went jogging and then he went grocery shopping with me. I asked him if he wanted to go for drinks tonight and he agreed! Isn't that great?" the male of duo asked, grinning. Jane smiled at this and clapped twice.

"Wow, I'm impressed, Thor. Are you going to ask him to Tony's charity ball?" she asked. Thor bit his bottom lip at this, his eyes showing how nervous he really was.

"I don't know. I really want to get on his good side, but he clearly hates Tony. I just want to show him I'm worth it," Thor answered, turning around to stir the pot. "That I'm worth  _his_ time." to this, Jane sighed and snapped. Thor turned at the sound, his eyes falling upon an angry Jane.

"First of all, Thor. Stop acting so pathetic!" she demanded. "You  _know_ you are worth that snob's time. It's so obvious he just puts up walls so no one sees that fluffy caring side of him. You gotta man up and knock down every fucking wall that guy put up." Thor stared at his friend, his jaw slack at her sudden outburst.

"Wow Jane. That's great advice."

"Want even better advice? The soup is smoking." Jane mused, coughing into her hand as Thor cursed, turning around and attending to the smoking liquid.

* * *

Thor knocked on the door of apartment 1207, believing he had never been so nervous in his life. He heard the same curses followed by the 'one second' and took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. This was it, the only chance he had to show Loki he was worth it. Worth just  _one_ chance. The door swung open to reveal Loki's sister, dressed in short shorts and a tight blue tank top, all of it splattered with lime green paint.

"Thor? I wasn't expecting you. I'm kind of painting my room… Is Jane here too?" Lekný questioned, peering into the hallway. Thor laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

"She's actually sick."

"Awe, poor thing. Anyway, what brings you here?" she asked before they both heard someone clearing their throat. Lekný looked back and Thor looked up to see Loki standing about ten feet behind his sister.

"We are going out." Loki said simply, stuffing his hands into his black dress pants. Lekný blinked, shock apparent on her features.

"Umm… Okay?" she managed to say, too confused to add anything else. Thor looked the male in front of him up and down, smiling slightly.

"Shall we?" Loki asked as his sister went to lay down, needing time to think. He walked over to Thor and looked up. 'Please.' he mouthed as he grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack. The older of the two nodded and stepped out of the apartment, watching the dark haired male carefully as he closed the door after him. "Alright, where to?"

"Well, actually, I know this amazing spot my friend Natasha showed me," Thor explained as they walked towards the elevators. "It's called the Middle Spoon. It's a dessert bar and they do serve coffee." he mentioned, smiling. Loki raised an eyebrow and smiled ever so slightly.

"Hmm, sounds good to me," the younger of the duo agreed as Thor pushed the down arrow. "I suppose I should apologize for what happened on Thursday. You did nothing wrong. I simply had something to attend to." to this, Thor chuckled and watched Loki enter the elevator.

"No need to apologize, but thank you anyway. No hard feelings." the blond male replied kindly once entering the elevator. The doors slid closed and Loki sighed softly, nodding.

"You are kind. Almost too kind." the dark haired man mused, his eyes locking with Thor's.

"Not always. I am kind to people who deserve it." Thor argued lightly, smiling the whole time. Loki smirked at this, keeping eye contact like he had two nights prior.

"Then there is no point in being kind to me."

"Actually, there is," the older laughed as the elevator dinged off on the main level, the doors sliding open. They both exited and Loki sneered. "Hey, stop sneering and smirking. It's true. I bet there is a fun loving Loki under there somewhere."

"What makes one think that, Odinson?" he asked, straightening his posture as Thor opened the door for him. He thanked the older and braced the cool autumn air.

"Your eyes. They show something wild that contrasts with the rest of you, which seems to want nothing but formalities," Thor answered, watching Loki shiver. "I hope you know I don't care what you are or aren't." to this, Loki stopped walking. The blond stopped and turned to see vivid green eyes stirring with hidden intentions.

"You don't?"

"Not at all!" Thor defended, walking over. He stopped in front of the shorter male and sighed. "You should be yourself around everyone. Hiding isn't worth it.  _Pretending_ isn't worth it. Yet, if you can't do it, just know its safe with me. I'd never do anything to jeopardize you." the older vowed, watching Loki struggle to say something. When nothing came out, green eyes shot up to lock with bright blue.

"… You are something," was all the man in front of Thor could say, dare to say. "Thank you." he added after a minute of silence.

"You're welcome," Thor answered, smiling. "Let's get going, though. I don't want you to freeze." he laughed, earning a small smile from the pale skinned male.

"Alright."

* * *

To both of the men's surprise, the night went well. The dessert bar was busy, but they managed to get a small both in the bottom floor, which was less noisy than the top. Once Thor got Loki out of small talk, he learned the younger loved to talk. He learned about the travelling Loki had done and where he had gone to University. Thor had told him about his distant family and his older brother Balder, who yet distant, was living in New York as well.

"So you can imagine my surprise when I finally found her," Loki recalled, a smile finally evident on his features. "She had a tattoo she could not explain and hair so pink she resembled a flamingo." Thor laughed at this, glad the dark haired male finally opened somewhat.

"Sounds like London was fun."

"Oh yes. Tonnes," Loki laughed as well, his eyes sparkling with good mood. "As soon as we got back to California, she demanded a hair colouring from her hair dresser who was booked up solid."

"Did she have to wait?" Thor asked, amused as he took a drink of his cocktail.

"Lekný and wait should never be used in the sentence," Loki defended as he took a bite of his cheesecake. "She somehow managed to get into see him that day. Something to do with being the daughter of a billionaire banker." he smirked. Thor grinned and watched the other man intently, hung on every word that spilled from his thin lips.

"She seems like a great sibling."

"Oh, she is. I do not know what I would do without her," he amended, nodding as he took a drink of his cocktail. "This place really is quite amazing, Thor. Thank you for taking me."

"No need for thanks. I'm just glad you agreed to coming," the blond replied. "However, I was wondering…"

"You do a lot of that, I can see." the younger of the two mocked lightly.

"Perhaps. Anyway, I was wondering if you were free next Saturday." Thor inquired, smiling brightly.

"I cannot foresee me doing anything," Loki replied, smiling slyly now. "Why?"

"There is a charity ball that is going on next Saturday and I was wondering if it was your thing. It's formal wear and they are always quite fun when I go." the older explained.

"I did not know that you were into formal events," Loki mused. "Who is holding it?"

"Well, Tony-"

"Stark?" Loki asked, his frigid demeanour returning. Thor sighed and shook his head.

"He doesn't want any quarrel. I barely see anything of him when these events are hosted by him! I know you would love it." Thor vowed, his eyes pleading. The dark haired male sighed, the frigidness melting away.

"I do not know."

"I really want you to consider it. It's a great event and it goes towards the building of a well in Mali, Africa." the older of the two assured. Loki furrowed his eyebrows and looked at his bubbling cocktail.

'Want… Nobody has really wanted me to go to anything with them, besides Lekný,' the former business tyrant thought. 'It will not be  _that_ bad. He seems to genuinely care,' he snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "Alright, why not? It sounds like it would be fun." to this, Thor beamed and sat back, relaxing his posture.

"Excellent. It's a date," the blond exclaimed, then blinked. "You know, not date date, but date as in-"

"Thor, shut up," Loki said hurriedly. "Date date it is." he smiled ever so slightly. Thor bit his lip to contain his excitement and nodded.

"Wow. Okay. Awesome!" Thor muttered happily, watching Loki finish off his cocktail.

"Indeed." Loki agreed, knowing Thor had just knocked down one of the many walls.

* * *

The two men stumbled out of the cab laughing, the cool air not seeming to affect them in the least. Loki leaned against Thor as they walked onto the large pull through outside their apartment. The blond wrapped an arm around an equally tipsy Loki, holding him tight around the waist.

"This has been the most fun I've had in a while!" Loki exclaimed as they made their way to the front doors to the lobby.

"I'm honoured to be a part of that, Loki." Thor smiled and struggled with the keys to the front doors. Loki rolled his eyes and laughed, plucking the keys from the older man's palms.

"You are too drunk for that."

"As are you."

"Well," Loki smirked and unlocked the door, pushing it open. "At least I can open the door." he teased and sauntered into the quiet lobby. Thor smirked and took the keys out of the door, following the young male.

"Ten points for you then." the taller of the duo chuckled as Loki pushed the up arrow. The elevators opened at once as they were rarely used at one in the morning. The two men piled in and leaned against each other after hitting their respected floors.

"Thank you for everything," the younger smiled, his dark hair falling out of its pulled back style. "I can be quite difficult to handle."

"You're worth it," Thor replied as the elevator stopped at third floor. "Well, this is where I gotta get off. I'll talk you soon?" he asked. Loki leaned against the closest rail and clicked his tongue.

"You know, you don't  _have_ to get off here. You  _could_ spend the night with me." Loki smirked; earning a shocked looked in return.

"I think I like that idea better than seeing you soon." Thor smiled as the younger man hit the close button.

"So glad you agree, Odinson."


	5. Shake It Out

Thor awoke to the sun blinding him. He struggled to sit up, a headache splitting into his head. Looking around, he began to worry greatly. The room he was in was not his own. Dark green walls instead of light blue, clean instead of unorganized. The blond's heart began to beat in his ears as his gaze fell on the bedside table, a picture frame showing Loki and his sister Lekný in formal wear. The male wore a cool smile, while the female twin's was brighter but no less elegant.

"Oh god," the blond male groaned, stripping the gray bed sheets off of his body. Instead of what he thought, he was still clothed in his boxers. "Thank you, lord." he mouthed before stumbling out of the foreign bed. He slipped into his jeans, not being able to find his blue plaid button up shirt. He made his way out of the room and down the hall, where the sound of a guitar became evident. When Thor made it into the living room he knew was the Laufeyson's, his eyes fell on Loki. The dark haired male was sitting on the couch facing away from him playing guitar softly in the morning light. The older in the room opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. It would be nice to see a new side of Loki.

"Can you lie next to her and give her your heart, your heart? As well as your body, and can you lie next to her and confess your love, your love?" Loki sang softly, not wanting to wake the man he believed to be sleeping in his room down the small hallway. He strummed against the strings carefully as he continued to sing. "As well as your folly, and can you kneel before this king and say "I'm clean", "I'm clean"?" the younger in the room emitted, his voice sounding almost pained near the end. Thor frowned softly, feeling a sudden sadness at Loki's voice. The playing slowed along with the other male's singing. "But tell me now where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart? Oh, tell me now where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart?" the dark haired male seemed to ask sadly, his voice softer than before. He paused, took a deep breath, and then commenced to pick up his strumming. "A white blank page and a swelling rage, rage. You did not think when you sent me to the brink, to the brink. You desired my attention, but denied my affections, my affections." his tone angry now, shocking Thor to the core. If any song had affected the bigger of the two, it was this one. The strumming stopped, and then started again, slower like before. The anger washed out of Loki's posture, reduced to the former turmoil. "So tell me now where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart? Oh, tell me now where was my fault, in loving you with my whole heart?" he expressed solemnly, before stopping his playing completely. "Good morning, Thor." to this, the blond blinked and walked around to face the younger male, where he also found his plaid shirt adorning the guitarist.

"What gave me away?" he inquired as he sat down next to Loki on the couch.

"Lekný is out. I believe we were out of tea," the cool demeanour had returned. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, packing away his acoustic guitar carefully. Thor watched the dark haired man and smiled nervously.

"Yeah, I did. Umm, did we-"

"Have sex?" Loki asked, clipping the case shut. He turned back to Thor, green eyes locking with blue. "No. You could not understand the concept of buttons and then passed out asleep." the smaller of the two replied. The older of the duo groaned and shoved his face into his palms.

"God. I'm so sorry." Thor sighed, looking up when he felt a light hand on his shoulder. Loki stared at him, a ghost of a smile painted onto his lips.

"What for? I believe it takes two to tango, Thor," the pale skinned man mused, playing with the long sleeves of the button up shirt that did not belong to him. "We have no quarrel, Odinson. Now, we do not have tea, but I believe coffee is still abundant in this apartment somewhere."

So I didn't ruin everything?" Thor asked, getting up and following the shorter male as he walked into the kitchen. Upon entering, Thor whistled at how clean it was. It was as if Loki was his polar opposite. The former business tyrant opened up a cupboard, grabbing a tin that had the word "Kaffe". Thor knew it to be foreign, but guessed it to be coffee as Loki plugged in the coffee maker that resided on the counter.

"I suppose not. I did enjoy myself, but do not think you have won my affections, Odinson." the younger of the men spoke evenly as he set up the coffee maker. Thor smiled earnestly and leaned against the counter next to Loki.

"I know, Loki," the blond chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "But at least you talk to me. Just know what I said last night is true. It's all true." green eyes looked up at him, full of doubt.

"You were drunk. I am almost certain you did not mean it. Do you even remember it?"

"Of course!" Thor interjected, causing the other to raise an eyebrow.

"Prove it." Loki answered, in which Thor frowned in return. He grabbed the two pale hands and swirled the dark haired man around to look at him. Green eyes widened, looking at connected hands before shooting up to lock with blue.

"When you thanked me, you said you were difficult to handle," the taller of the two said, his eyes never leaving Loki's. "I answered "You're worth it", which still remains true. I would never say something I didn't mean, especially something so important." to this, Loki looked taken aback.

"… I… Thank you," the younger of them said, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips once again. It lasted for a mere second before turning into a scowl. "Enough of this." green eyes snapped away. Thor smirked and felt Loki's hands rip out of his.

"You try so hard to be cold. I see right past it."

"Shut up, Thor." Loki groaned, staring intently at the coffee maker as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. Thor laughed and pulled on the edge of his shirt that still adorned the smaller of the two.

"Nice shirt."

"Shut. Up."

* * *

Lekný opened the apartment door, several plastic grocery bags held in her other hand. She closed the door and looked at couch to see Thor and Loki pouring over the newspaper.

"Hey you two," she smiled slightly, feeling awkward to break the bonding between the two very different men. "What's so interesting?"

"Six letter for twos." Thor shot off, looking at her. The sole female in the room rolled her eyes and walked towards the kitchen to put the groceries away.

"Deuces!" Lekný called back as the door swung closed. Thor blinked and watched Loki click his tongue.

"She's good." the blond muttered.

"Crosswords are her hobby," Loki answered as he scribbled down deuces. "Watch this. Eight letters for Influence!" he yelled. A cupboard shut loudly in the kitchen before the female yelled back.

"Leverage!" she answered. The male twin smirked and looked at another blank space after jotting the answer down.

"Hail, to Ceasar!"

"Ave!"

"Washstand vessel!" Loki challenged. The fridge slammed before the dark haired female sauntered out of the kitchen.

"How many letters?" she asked as she sat down with her cup of David's Tea. Loki counted the spaces and looked back up to Lekný.

"Four, my dear sister."

"Ewer, my sweet brother." she replied and sipped at her tea.

"Jesus, you're good at this." Thor exclaimed, watching Lekný wave him off.

"Thank you, my dear. I've been doing crosswords since the ripe age of seven." she sang, smiling fondly.

"And I was the one who was said to be anti-social."

"It was a hobby. You turned reading a book into a lifestyle, my brother," Lekný giggled. "So, have fun last night, you two?" she asked.

"We did." the two said in union, before looking at each other slightly. Lekný smiled at the two and leaned against the love seat.

"So I hear my brother is going to that charity ball that Stark is holding," the dark haired female said softly, watching Loki roll his eyes. "I can't believe my brother said yes to that."

"Lekný…" Loki sighed, watching Thor smile slightly.

"Oh hush, brother. Look, I told you he was something." the female twin mused, watching Thor's face break into a wide grin.

"Thank you, Lekný." he laughed softly, watching Loki roll his eyes.

"You two are impossible." the dark haired male replied, looking back at Thor to see him staring at his phone.

"I'm sorry, I think Jane needs me." Thor sighed and stood up. The younger male's eyes darted after him, before shifting and glaring at Lekný.

"Got it, snob." the female twin muttered under her breath and left the room quickly to leave the two men alone. Loki watched her leave, getting off of the couch and following Thor's trail when the kitchen door swung shut. Silence fell onto the two as Thor slipped into his beat up converse.

"So I'll see you tonight?" the older of the two asked, looking up as he finished tying up the laces. Loki sniffed and stuffed his hands into the pockets off his dress pants, switching out of sweat pants a few hours back. It had been hardest for the dark haired man to part with the button up shirt, but he had managed.

"You may," he announced, trying his best to look hardly interested, looking over at the coffee table to see a pen lying on top of it. He strode over; swiping it up off of the oak surface before returning to the door Thor was leaning against. "If I happen to forget, you could attempt to get a hold of me. I make no promise if you will, I am quite busy." to this Thor snorted. Blue eyes watched as Loki grabbed his left hand, gently writing a seven digit number, letting go as soon as he had finished.

"I'll call you repeatedly then." the older of the duo laughed, watching Loki's not so amused expression.

"Best of luck, Odinson." green eyes locking with blue briefly as Thor stepped away from the door. The shorter of them opened the door, his eyes snapping ahead towards the hallway.

"Thanks, Laufeyson."

"Good day." Loki nodded, his tone filled with propriety once again. Thor smiled and made his way out of the twelfth floor apartment.

"See ya, Loki." he smiled as the door shut, leaving said man to momentary silence.

"See you tonight? What is going on?" Lekný asked, laughing. The male twin whirled around gracefully, joyless eyes meeting joyful.

"Dear sister, care not to mock me." Loki sighed, walking into the hallway. Lekný raised an eyebrow and sauntered after her sibling.

"I'm not mocking! Loki, did he knock down a wall?" she asked, causing said man to stop his confident stride. He looked back at his curious sister, lips pressed together in a tight line. "He did!" she squealed and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around her brother's waist.

"Ugh. You are  _too_ much." Loki sighed, looking ahead. Lekný smiled brightly and let go, dragging the male to his room by his wrist.

"You are telling me everything." she said as she pulled them into her sibling's room, pushing him down onto the bed. She jumped onto the king sized mattress and landed cross legged.

"… Let me process this first," he said, sitting up and joining his sister slowly. "Where do you need me to start?"

"Well, you told me most of last night, so just from when I left until I came back, I suppose," Lekný said thoughtfully. "Although I'd like to know what's going on in that head of yours. First off, did he knock down wall number one or what?" to this, Loki rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his pulled back hair.

"He did, but do not think this means I am infatuated with him. That is hardly the case," Loki affirmed, looking at his splayed out hands. "I just do not know if it will work out. Ever."

"What makes you think that?" Lekný asked, placing her hands on his shoulders. A sigh emitted from her brother as an immediate reply.

"I always end up getting hurt," Loki answered, earning a small noise of hesitant agreement from his sister. "That and my job…" he trailed off, watching the female twin let go of his shoulders. Her green eyes narrowed dangerously as she hopped off of the bed.

"Loki. Enough about the stupid fucking  _job_! You don't have it anymore!" Lekný explained angrily, her voice rising in the quiet of their shared apartment.

"This is a vacation!" he tried to argue, but the dark haired female ignored his attempts.

"Because our father would send you to the other side of America for a vacation!" she yelled. "He moved us out here to get you away from that company! You aren't the same when you wield such power!" Loki flinched and watched his sister, shocked to see her angry. It was a rare sight to behold for the male twin.

"You do not understand." Loki huffed, earning an exasperated growl from his sister.

"No, you don't understand," Lekný challenged. "You don't understand that he could be an escape for you! A chance to be done with your graceless heart! A chance to start over, Loki." she choked, almost running out of his room. Silence elapsed in the apartment once more after a door was slammed, leaving the male twin to his thoughts.

"A chance to start over." Loki muttered, looking over at his blackberry. He swiftly grabbed it off of the night stand and punched in a set of numbers before holding it to his ear. He collapsed on his bed as a voice sounded off in the silence.

"Hello?" the female voice asked, sweet and filled with curiosity. The dark haired man took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

"Yes, um," Loki muttered, eyes opening slowly. "Hello mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The song used is "White Blank Page" by Mumford and Sons.  
> 2\. David's Tea is a tea place where I'm from. I know for a fact they have them in New York City.


	6. All These Things That I've Done

"Loki?" the female voice asked, shock evident even over the phone. "How… How are you?" Loki struggled to find words, but could come up with none. He and his mother had never been close, had not spoken in years in fact. Loki had always resented the fact that his mother had been adamantly against her son's job.

"I am fine," the dark haired male sighed. "Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, I know it is probably lunch over there." instant regret filled Loki, wondering why on earth he would call his mother. It had been a decision made in haste, but it surprised the young man he still had done it.

"Loki, you haven't!" his mother exclaimed, her voice filled with mild anxiety. "Did you want to speak to your father?"

"No, no," the young man shook his head. "I wanted to speak to you, actually. I need… Um, some advice."

"Advice? Don't you think your father is better at that?" she asked. "He is the business man." Loki heaved another sigh as his mother's rambling tapered off.

"No mother, it is not business," the male explained. "It is… Um, one would say boy troubles, I suppose." he mumbled as a shocked gasp was the immediate reply.

"Boy troubles? But, Loki," his mother struggled to answer, confusion filling her thoughts. "You never showed interest… Are you sick?"

"No mother, I am not sick," said male replied, rolling his eyes at his mother's concern. They had always been polar opposite. The only time Loki could remember bonding with his mother was when he came out as gay eight years prior. His father had been bitter at first, but his mother offered nothing but compassion and understanding. He had found comfort in that until his father accepted the fact. Soon after that, Loki and his mother were back to fighting, the only bad part of his adolescent years. "I just need some advice, alright?" he asked, taking a deep breath.

"Um, okay. What is it you need help with, sweetheart?" the term caused the dark haired male to flinch, but he kept his emotions in check as he fell onto his back against his bed.

"… I have a friend."

"A friend?" he could practically feel the smile radiating off of his mother.

"Yes, mother. A friend. He can be quite difficult. You see, he is hard to get along with, but I love him dearly," Loki explained, his voice the only noise in his room. "He has these, well, walls put up. He built many, but someone has knocked the first of many down. Maybe even two."

"Go on." Farbauti smiled, twirling a lock of black hair around her ring finger, grey now twisted in with it.

"My friend does not know how to take it. The man that is after him is annoying, showing up everywhere I- he goes." Loki frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. His mother laughed softly and looked across the room where her husband had entered.

"Who is that?" Laufey mouthed. Farbauti smiled and waved a hand at her husband to leave.

"Loki," she mouthed back. "Leave!" she finished soundlessly. Laufey made a zipping closed motion in front of his lips and turned on his heel, striding out of the room. "Annoying? Loki, I don't think you would call me just to tell me how much a man gets on your nerves."

"Not me, my friend."

"Oh right, your friend," Farbauti rolled her eyes, brown and not green like her sons. "Well, I think your friend should let someone in. He needs to know that not everyone is out to hurt him. There are people in this world that will be there for you if you fall, if you get hurt." she explained; silence the only immediate answer to meet her ear.

"But how does one even bring that up?"

"Loki, it doesn't have to be brought up," Farbauti laughed, closing her eyes. "You have to open up. Just take a part of your heart and give it away for once."

"I do not like the sound of that much." Loki sniffed, pretending not to care. His mother shook her head and scoffed.

"Loki, stop. Listen, you deserve to be happy, you really do. You can be such a kind man if you just let one person in, to show you that love is worth it. That giving your heart to someone is not a white flag of surrender."

"Love? A waste of time." the dark haired male rebutted. Farbauti smiled slightly and looked at the window sill, where a picture frame sat of her and her twins. The female twin was taken in mid-giggle as the older female tickled her with one hand. The male twin was smiling, hands wrapped in the mother's long black hair. Her smile melted into a sad one, tears welling in her eyes. Long gone were those days and her heart hurt in realization. She had said goodbye to her four children long ago, each one taking a piece of her heart. Loki, the only one who refused to talk to her on many occasions, unknowingly took the biggest part. She feared for her youngest child -a mere ten minutes younger than his sister- and how he would fare across the continent. She snapped out of her thoughts at a cough from the other side of the line.

"Love is not a waste of time, Loki," she tried to speak without choking on her memories, her failed relationship with her baby boy. "Love is the strongest force in the world. It is patient, it is kind. It can turn the most hateful man into one of compassion. You are not an exception. If there is a man in New York trying to help you, trying to knock down those walls, I suggest you let him. Maybe throw him a ladder so he can climb over them." the dark haired woman argued. Loki's eyes opened at the voice in his ear, so filled with sadness. He looked at the ceiling and felt something he had never felt before. A hollow ache began to grow in his chest, in his heart. It was not sharp, but he hated it all the same. It left him feeling empty, not himself.

"Mom," he choked up. "I… Thank you." he felt tears threaten to spill at the corners of his eyes. He held them back as long as he could. A small sob sounded on the other side, laughter accompanying it.

"You're welcome, baby." she smiled, wiping her eyes, the black of her makeup smearing onto her hand. Loki bit his lip as tears finally won over strength, spilling down his cheeks.

"I have to go…"

"Okay, sweetheart." to this, Loki took a deep breath and almost hit the end button, but decided against it. He put the phone to his ear and wiped one stream of tears away.

"And mom?"

"Yes?" Farbauti asked, watching her husband walk back in, eyes widened when he saw his wife crying.

"I love you and I am sorry." Loki managed to say, hanging up and breaking into silent sobs. Farbauti heard the line go dead in her ear, but smiled brightly.

"Oh, Loki." she took a shallow breath as a hand settled on one of her shoulders.

"What did he do to you? Why are you crying?" Laufey asked, his accent yet to leave him even after all the years of living in Western culture. Farbauti stood up and embraced her husband tightly.

"He said he loved me… And that he was sorry." she sobbed and snuggled her face into her lover's dress shirt. Laufey's vivid green eyes widened as he hugged his wife back.

"He did? Jøss." the older of the two announced, bewildered by the sudden change in his youngest son. If Loki was truly beginning to change, Laufey knew he would have to visit him. 'Perhaps my decision was rash…'

* * *

"I'm glad everyone is in a better mood tonight," Natasha mused, pleased to see her two male friends were no longer moody. Clint smirked and nodded to his fiancé.

"Agreed. Where's Bruce? He loves coming here." Tony looked up from his menu and shook his head.

"Banner is on a date actually," the oldest in the group laughed. "Don't ask me how he got a girl, but she loves Astronomy. They went a Star Party."

"What is that?" Steve asked, looking up from his menu. Tony looked at the blond and shrugged his shoulders.

"No idea, but I want one." the billionaire replied while scratching his beard methodically. Steve raised an eyebrow, but went back to looking at his menu in front of him. Everyone with the exception of Steve looked at the waitress when she stopped by their table, serving them all beer. She looked at Steve and blinked, confused at the blond's presence.

"New guy?"

"Indeed," Natasha smiled as Steve finally looked at the brunette who was serving them. "Steve, this is Victoria. Victoria, this is Steve." she introduced.

"Oh! Hello, Steve. Joined the group I see." she smiled as they shook hands briefly. "Where is Bruce?"

"Star Party, whatever that is." Clint announced while taking a gulp of beer. The petite female's smile brightened.

"With a date." Tony added, earning a shocked gasp from their server.

"Whoa! A date? Good on him. Star Parties are fun. I went to one with my dad a few years back. He's into that stuff."

"You'll have to give me the info on them. I want to host one. No, I will host one." the oldest in the group decided, his smile as smug as ever.

"Of course. I'll message you on Facebook," Victoria smiled. "What did you want, Steve? A beer?"

"No thank you, ma'am. I'll just take a water." Steve replied politely. The brunette smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sounds good! I'll be back with your water and to take all of your orders in a second." with that, she walked off with a sway of her hips.

"She sure is nice." Steve smiled, as innocent as ever. Tony rolled his blue eyes and leaned back against the backing of the booth they always sat in. Natasha hit the billionaire for his actions, but looked at Thor, who though happy, was intently staring at his phone.

"You okay, Thor?" the sole female asked. Baby blues looked up, filled with a mix of emotions.

"Yes, I… Well, I was supposed to get a message…" he trailed off as his phone rang off. Eyes snapped back down, gazing at the message on his lock screen. A smile broke over Thor's face, which cause the group great confusion.

"… From who?" Natasha asked, before looking ahead to the restaurant door opening. "Oh." she muttered as Thor got out of the booth.

"Hey, what's going on?" Tony asked, putting down his menu. He followed Thor to see who the blond was greeting. "No. Fuck. No." he shook his head in disbelief. Clint watched the blond greet the stranger, smirking as he finally understood.

"Ou. This'll be fun."

"… Bunches." Natasha grumbled while Steve looked up, smiling brightly. It had been awhile since he had seen his former classmate.

"Loki, you came," Thor smiled, watching Loki push his scarf away from his face. "I didn't think you would." to this, the dark haired male shrugged his shoulders and removed his black pea coat.

"I tend to be full of surprises," he said lightly, his voice dropping to a whisper then. "I wish to speak to you after this dinner is over. Alone." green eyes locked with blue, almost mesmerizing for the older of the two.

"You sure are full of a lot of things." Tony frowned, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh, you are here. How  _wonderful_." Loki mused, sauntering past Thor. He stopped in front of the table his enemy sat at and smirked ever so slightly.

"How's the job? Oh wait, you don't have it. My bad." Tony retorted, smiling now. The younger of the two clicked his tongue, sliding in next to Natasha, facing Tony across the table. Thor sighed and sat down next to the former business tyrant.

"Cute, Stark. How is Stark Industries? Oh wait, it does not exist. I toppled it. My apologies."

"Does it give you joy to destroy people's businesses?" Tony asked, matching Loki's smirk.

"Not really, just yours. For someone with impeccable entrepreneurship, a young adult managed to take you down in a matter of months," the younger of them shot back. The two glared each other down until the dark haired male felt a hand rest on his thigh. Narrowed green eyes blinked and instantly softened. His gaze shifted from Tony to the only other blond at the table. "Steve?"

"Hey, Loki." Steve smiled slightly, placing his menu down and folding it back together.

"It has been awhile. How are you doing? What brings you to New York?"

"Hometown. I didn't like California much. Moved back here as soon as I had the chance. Everything is better now, my dad finally retired. How about you?" Steve asked, watching Tony grumble to Clint and Natasha. The dark haired man looked at the billionaire as well, then directed his attention to Steve.

"It is quite different than New York. It is good to hear he finally retired. My father refuses to do so, but something tells me mother will make him," Loki mused. "May I borrow your menu?" he asked Thor, immediately being granted so. "Thank you."

"You both have the hard working trait it would seem. It's a good thing to have at times, but you should always think about yourself and others as well. Not just work." Steve smiled, watching Thor's good mood around his former high school peer. Green eyes shifted from one blond to the other, giving a small shrug.

"You always did have the best advice for me." he said, trying not to be cold around an old friend, someone who had stood up for him when the other popular kids took to bullying. Loki had never forgotten that day. It had been a windy December in his last year of high school, the lack of snow all too common for California. He had walked onto the school ground, books pressed against his chest so the many study notes wouldn't go flying away in the breeze. He remembered the cool wind had caused his eyes to water, so he had kept his face down. Before he could look up, Loki bumped into one of the many jocks of his school. He recalled his anxiety peaking, knowing all too well what would happen. The jock had taken his books and threw them into the wind, papers flying everywhere. After a laugh, the group of seniors sauntered off. Devastated, Loki recounted that he stumbled around, trying to pick up the papers. While running after his Biology notes, he bumped into yet another man. Another jock was what Loki assumed, but he had been wrong. In the strangers hands were the remainder of his papers, some wet, but most in good shape. A caring smile was painted across the blond's face. Loki remembered Steve and him exchanging names and then being told that no one would ever knock his books over again. To Loki's surprise, Steve Rogers had been right. The next time it happened was the last, the blond male coming to his defense, standing up against every jock on the football team. Although Loki kept him at a distance, Steve continued to be next to him, enough for Loki to consider him somewhat of a friend. The smaller of the two wondered why they stopped speaking, but deep down he knew the answer. He pushed him away, like everyone else.

"Someone has to." Steve smiled as the same waitress stopped in front of them.

"Another new one? You are definitely going to need a new table."

"No need. He's not permanent, Vicky." Tony insisted, grunting when Thor's foot found his shin in a kick.

"Oh, okay. I see." she smiled, serving Steve his water. "Well, good evening, sir, I'm Victoria and I'll be serving you all tonight." the young girl said to Loki politely.

"I think there may be a need, Miss Victoria. I quite like it here already. Small town restaurants are always a nice change of scenery." the dark haired male smiled with propriety, eyes shifting to Tony. A sparkle of mischief was evident, causing the older male to glare.

'Fucking hate this kid.' the billionaire thought, looking at Clint to see him snickering behind his hand. "Would you care to not laugh at my misery?" he whispered, frowning the whole time. Said male looked back at him, shrugging.

"I can't help it. It's hilarious. You two are acting like a couple of high school girls," the brunett whispered back. "Besides, Thor looks happy." he said, gesturing to said blond, who was enthusiastically speaking to the newcomer of their group. Tony looked at his younger friend, the joy so evident in the way he spoke to his enemy.

"Ugh, stop being right. Okay, okay. Maybe he does look happy with that weasel," the older of the two sighed. "I just don't want to see the big guy hurt. Loki is a diva and gets bored of things easily. I watched that kid grow up." he muttered.

"I think they will be fine. Thor can change the toughest of people. He's a great guy, Loki will see that." Natasha butted in, whispering as well.

"I guess. I'll warn Point Break over there, because Loki isn't a great guy. Now, stop this gossip circle, they are staring." Tony finished, breaking off the conversation to look at the other four watching them.

"Gossiping, Stark?" Loki asked. Victoria sighed and rolled her brown eyes.

"He likes to do that."

"Oh I know," the green eyed male said, looking at her. "If it is not too much trouble, do you have a wine list?" he asked. The brunette blinked and smiled at his request.

"Of course! I normally don't give them the list, I've learned they aren't into wine." she gestured to the group. "I'll go get it-"

"Oh no, no need to fetch it. Do you happen to carry Cannonau di Sardegna?" the dark haired man asked, watching the waitress dive into thought.

"Hmm… Yes! We do! Would you care for a glass?"

"Please." Loki nodded, smiling with upmost propriety.

"Alright, I'll grab that quick and then take orders. Sorry guys, be right back!" she smiled and hurried off.

"She is quite nice." the newcomer to the group said out loud, earning a nod from most, with the exception of Tony, who continued to brood.

"That's what I said." Steve agreed, smiling brightly. Loki chuckled slightly at his old peer's excitement. He blinked as he felt a hand on his thigh again, looking down to confirm the hand belonged to Thor. Reluctance tugged at the younger male's heart, his mind telling him to not bother. That there was no point.

'Just let one person in, to show you that love is worth it. That giving your heart to someone is not a white flag of surrender,' the words of his mother echoing in his head. 'Love is not a waste of time, Loki. Love is the strongest force in the world. It is patient, it is kind… If there is a man in New York trying to help you, trying to knock down those walls, I suggest you let him.' the voice continued to disturb his thoughts, cause his heart to hurt again, like it had earlier that day. He took a deep breath and laid his closest hand over the bigger one on his thigh. Green eyes met blue and both of the men smiled slightly, before going back to their present conversations. When Loki looked back at Steve, the blond gave him a knowing look.

"Not a word." Loki said sternly, causing the blond to laugh heartily.

"Alright, alright." Steve agreed. The smaller of the two leaned back closing his eyes momentarily.

'Thank you, mom.'

* * *

The rest of the evening went well, conversations going deep into the evening. The group ate and drank their fill, finally beginning to end the night with tea and coffee. Loki surprisingly enjoyed himself, despite the occasionally meeting gaze between himself and Tony. He was half finished his coffee when the doors to the restaurant opened, the chime of the bell sounding off softly. Loki thought nothing of it until a figure stopped in front of their table.

"I knew I would find you here, Mr. Stark." the deep set voice mused, someone Loki recognized instantly. While the rest of the group looked up, he shrank against Thor, looking down at his simmering coffee.

"… Thanos. Um, hey." Tony chuckled. However, the bigger of the two did not find anything funny. Thor looked at the man named Thanos, to Tony, then finally to Loki, who had gone ghost white.

"Lo-"

"Hush." the younger hissed quietly, automatically shutting a curious Thor up.

"Good evening, Mr. Stark," the man -about the same age as Tony- said without a smile. "And is that? Oh my, it is. Mr. Laufeyson." the smile appeared now, cruel and calculating. Loki cursed mentally, but straightened his posture, keeping as composed as possible.

"Hello, Thanos."

"Who would have thought I would kill two birds with one stone. May I have a word with you two fine gentlemen?" he asked. Thor frowned, as Loki was obviously uncomfortable with the strange man.

"I don't think he wants to talk." the blond male retorted, earning Thanos' full attention. Brown, almost red eyes, dropped to the connected hands, a smile yet again returning to his face.

"Loki, I see you've found a toy. Cute. However, I don't think not talking is an option." Loki glared at this, ripping his hand out of Thor's.

"He is not a toy. Now, excuse me Thor." Loki said coolly, his heart beating in his ears. Begrudgingly, Thor slid out of the booth, letting Loki out. Clint and Steve did the same for Tony, worried looks on all of their faces, especially Steve.

"Stay frosty." Tony said to Steve, smiling like nothing was going wrong, when everything was about to.

"Tony…" Steve sighed and sat back down with Clint. Loki's eyes darted back to Thor, showing anxiety.

"Do you need me?" Thor asked softly. Loki shook his head and stood straight, posture perfect as usual.

"No, I will see you soon." he said, sauntering out of the restaurant after Thanos, Tony following with hands in his pockets.

"So uh, momentary truce?" Tony asked before stepping into the cool autumn air. Green eyes met his and nodded quickly.

"I believe so, Stark." he muttered as he shrugged into his pea coat, leaving the building swiftly. Tony took a deep breath and followed after, shuddering at the cold, even in his jacket. When the trio stopped in the alley way next to the restaurant, nothing was said for a matter of moments. Finally, with a deep sigh and shake of head, Thanos began.

"You boys owe me money."

"Hey, I'm good for it." Tony argued.

"And yet I don't see the money. Haven't for a year now," Thanos growled, watching the two men. When Tony said nothing, he clicked his tongue. "That's what I thought. Mr. Stark, you owe me two-million dollars. I don't think you fathom how much that is."

"Two-million? Really, Stark?" Loki frowned, looking at a surprised Tony.

"I didn't think it was that much. Couldn't be more than one point five." the brunette defended.

"Interest, Mr. Stark. Mr. Laufeyson, I wouldn't be in disbelief about that figure. Yours is quite something as well. And even better, I know you don't have the money. As you have lost your job. One-point two-million is quite a lot."

"Holy shit." Tony exclaimed, rubbing his beard methodically. Loki gulped, running a hand through his hair.

"I… I cannot pay it back yet. As soon as I get my job back-"

"What job, Laufeyson?" Thanos asked, laughing loudly as he shoved his hands in his pin stripe pants. "You don't even know if you'll get it back. Unlike Stark here, you have no money other than your parent's. You've become dependent on them. Pathetic for someone who was ruling the business world not months ago."

"I am not dependent! My father has done this! The fault is not mine!" the youngest of the trio argued, earning another laugh from the tallest of them.

"You boys have a month. I'm tired of this. Really tired. Just say that I'll be sending someone in a week. I think you know Him," Thanos warned. "two-million, one-point two," he said, pointing to Tony and then Loki respectively. "Good night, boys." the man said before sauntering out of the alley, getting into a car with blacked out windows. As the car left, the two males exhaled loudly.

"Never going to deal with a loan shark again," Tony laughed, looking at Loki, who had gone ghost white again. "Hey man, are you okay?"

"How can you be so calm about this?" Loki asked. "He plans to send  _Him_."

"That could be anyone." Tony tried to defend himself, defend the  _both_ of them. Loki looked at the billionaire and shook his head.

"No. It will be Him." Tony sighed to this, awkwardly punching his enemy lightly.

"Hey, no big deal. The money will be paid. Let's just get back before everyone thinks Thanos made a homicide out of us." the brunet smiled crookedly, hiding the worry in his heart. Loki shook his head.

"No. Send Thor." Loki said simply. Tony watched the younger man carefully, but resigned to doing as the dark haired male requested. He left the alley and made his way back inside the restaurant. When he made it back to the table, everyone got up, surrounding him.

"What happened?" Clint asked.

"We owe money, no biggy." Tony answered.

"Who was that?" Natasha inquired.

"His name is Thanos, he's a loan shark." he replied, before meeting Steve's gaze.

"Are you okay?" Steve questioned frantically, looking the older man up and down.

"Yeah, didn't even touch me." Tony assured the taller of the two, clapping a hand against the blond's back, winking.

"Do I have to kill him?" Victoria frowned, ushering to her metal serving tray. Tony rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Nah. I did owe him money, my bad. I forgot about it completely." the billionaire laughed, before being pulled by his colloar to meet the angry stare of Thor.

"Where's Loki?" he asked, almost frantic. Tony flinched at the pressure and wiggled in the bigger man's grasp.

"Thor, your inner psycho is showing," he frowned, feeling the man automatically let go off him. "He's, uh, outside in the Alley. Wants to talk to you actually." Tony finished, but Thor had left before he could say anymore. Natasha ushered them to sit, Victoria sitting with them now, as the restaurant was empty and about to close.

"How much do you owe?" Clint asked as Tony sat next to Steve. The oldest in the group shrugged and rested his chin on top of his palms.

"Two-million dollars."

"Two-million!?" Steve blurted out, shocked at the large sum. "Why would you borrow two-million dollars from a loan shark?"

"Hey, don't worry, sweet thing," Tony winked, elbowing the blond playfully. "I still got enough for us."

"Don't call me sweet thing, Tony."

"Alright, alright. Listen, it's not a big deal. I can pay it, but Loki isn't as lucky. I think I might feel bad for the weasel."

"And his heart grew three sizes that day." Victoria cooed, earning a glare from the older of the two.

"Don't you have to get ready to close?"

"Going!" she chimed and got up, skipping off to the back. Tony watched her leave and rolled his eyes. As he joined back into the conversation, he couldn't help but feel guilt edge away at his mind. Although Loki had done bad things to him and ruined Stark Industries, he felt as if something had to be done. He knew Thanos would send Him and while Tony would be fine, Loki wouldn't be so lucky.

'Being a nice person sucks.'

* * *

When Thor exited the restaurant, he made his way directly to the alley way where Tony said Loki would be. As soon as he reached the alley, the figure standing their looked up, green eyes clashing with blue.

"Loki, are you okay?" the blond asked frantically, walking over to the dark haired male.

"Yes, I am fine." Loki nodded, still shaken as Thor could plainly see.

"What happened?"

"Nothing I cannot handle." the younger of the duo replied. Thor sighed and took Loki's hands in his.

"Loki, please. Just tell me. I'm here for you. I swear." Thor vowed, squeezing the other man's hands.

"I just owe money."

"How much?" the other male inquired.

"A lot." Loki smiled slightly, the gesture insincere. The younger man's eyes shifted down to their hands, where Thor had laced their fingers together.

"How much is a lot?"

"One-point two-million," the dark haired man mused dryly. "I have a month." to this, Thor's eyebrows furrowed. An idea came to mind, causing him to smile brightly.

"… I could help you pay for it."

"Excuse me?" Loki asked. "Are you assuming I have an insufficient amount of funds?"

"You seemed awfully worried for a man who can afford it."

"I do not require your charity, Odinson," the younger of them hissed, ripping his hands from Thor's for the second time that night. "I do not need your pity, your stupid money. Goodnight." he spat before turning on his heel.

"Loki! I didn't mean it like that! I just wanted to help…" Thor trailed off as the figure disappeared in the night. "Fuck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Loki's mama and the sass between Loki and Tony. For real.


	7. Can't Hold Us

"Thor, you have to stop being pathetic eventually," Jane scolded as she walked into their shared living room. She stopped beside the couch, watching her childhood friend glued to cartoons on their TV. "You should come jogging instead of watching Adventure Time and eating two boxes of Pop Tarts a day." she muttered. Thor swallowed one of the pastries and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't want to jog anymore. I just want to sit here and get fat. I messed up so bad, Jane. God, he hates me." the blond male whined and snuggled his face into the matching pillow to their couch. The brunette sighed and sat down next to her friend on the couch. She plucked the remote out of Thor's lap and turned off the cartoon, then placed the device far from her friend's grabby hands.

"Look at you. You are acting like you two broke up."

"Jane! It's even worse than that!" Thor retorted. "We didn't even date and he dumped me already."

"… Really Thor? Really? Come on, get your teenage girl butt of this couch. We're going jogging." Jane frowned. The male of the duo shook his head and snuggled into his red fuzzy blanket.

"No way. There's no way you're getting me off this couch."

"I'll take you to Subway." at this, Thor scrambled off of the couch and ran out of the room.

"Give me a minute!" he yelled, earning a smirk from Jane. She leaned against the couch, blinking and taking out her phone when it sounded off. The lock screen displayed Lekný's name on the text message. She hummed and unlocked her phone, reading the text and sighing.

_Are you suffering as much as me, gurl? :/_

_**… Suffering is putting it slightly, Lekný. How is your brother doing?** _

_Acting like a pissy bitch. He sits around and sighs, goes shopping with me and sighs. Goes out to coffee, sighing. Omg, is he ever dramatic. How's your Brodinson doing?_

_**Holy crap. Thor does it too, cept he isn't going anywhere, just work and home again. Talked to his friend Natasha and all he does is sigh at work. He comes home, eats Pop Tarts, and watches stupid cartoons. I can't take much more of this.** _

_Ugh, I kno! They should tots just kiss and make up. lol._

_**Oh wow. Well, I guess I agree with that one, girl. Don is supposed to come to this charity event Tony is holding tonight, but I won't be going if Thor decides to be sulky AGAIN.** _

_Awe. =( Loki was supposed to go to that, but now the princess doesn't even want to mention Thor at all. My brother being too melodramatic about this… He started it too. -_-_

_**If you don't mind me saying, I totally agree! Thor was just trying to help. To keep Loki from, ya know, getting his fingers cut off by uncle scissors or some shit. Thor is so madly in love with Loki it makes One Direction fan girls look mild.** _

_Omglolyes, they need to just have sex and get it over with. I'm so sick of this "Oh, I do not like him, dear sister" and then calling fuckin' mom and then telling me "Maybe I do like him, oh but I do not deserve him." *Whine* -_- Real tired of my brother's shit, Jane. Real tired._

_**Awkwarddd. Let's not talk about Thor and Loki and sex at all. However! I do agree. They just need to get together. It's like a soap opera. We should try to convince our boys to both go tonight.** _

_My bad, girl. Keep forgetting you two dated. ;) Anywho, I will try my very best. I don't know how it will go, but a solid attempt will be made!_

_**Haha, good times. I don't know how easily it'll be to get Thor to go, but I have Tony. Thor and him basically have the world's biggest bromance.** _

_jfc, I need to see this. Kk, bby girl. Wish me luck with my whiny brother. 3_

_**I don't even know what jfc means. Awkward. You need to get off Tumblr. Best of luck with Loki, Lekný. xoxo** _

"Who are you texting?" Thor asked while walking out of his room, now dressed in his running attire. The female looked up quickly at her roommate and locked her phone, shoving it into the pocket of her jogging pants.

"… Lekný." Jane admitted, standing up and smoothing her clothes down. She watched as Thor's face seemed to hit a snag before settling on a sad smile.

"How is she?"

"Um, good. She's good." his roommate replied. Thor inhaled deeply and began tying his shoes, all too aware of his friend staring at him.

"Did she say anything about Loki?" he asked without looking up. When he did, Jane was fiddling with her shirt.

"Well, yeah."

"What about him?" Thor questioned, walking over to her. Brown eyes looked up into blue and the female's eyebrows furrowed. Minutes passed in silence before she replied to her friend.

"From what she said, I think he misses you. I think he wants to say sorry, Thor." Jane answered finally. Thor said nothing, blue eyes shifting up to the ceiling.

"We should start our run. I think we should ditch the Loki topic for a bit." he smiled, looking back at Jane. He knew he had been a nuisance for his roommate the past week, with his constant presence and talking about his dark haired love interest.

"Ditch the Loki topic? That's unlike you." Jane snorted, elbowing him as they began walking towards the door. Thor laughed softly and opened the door for her, locking it when they had made it to the hallway.

"I've been such a burden to you. It's not fair. I don't think you've spent any time alone with Dan since I came back from the restaurant last week." the taller of the two explained as they made their way toward the elevators. The brunette laughed loudly and crossed her arms over her chest after pushing the down arrow.

"Okay, as annoying it may be at times, I owe you a lot, Thor. Don't you remember how you stood up for me, when I was bullied by those popular girls? And the time when you stayed on the phone with me for five hours because you heard from Darcy I was going to kill myself?" she mused, causing Thor to sigh.

"Yeah, I do remember those times. Especially when you actually tried with those pills. I remember rushing over in my car, thinking you could die any second. When I pulled up you were leaning against your front door, delirious." the male of the duo added as the stepped into the elevator. Jane laughed at this, leaning against her friend.

"You took me to the hospital as quick as you could, not one harsh word. When I woke up the next morning after that crazy night, you were sitting there, looking like shit!" the brunette exclaimed. "And then you yelled at me, but it wasn't "You're stupid, bitch" but something a husband would say,"I was worried about you, I can't believe you would do that. You know you can come to me" that kind of thing. You were the best boyfriend I ever had." Jane smiled warmly up at her roommate.

"Of course. If I'm going to date someone, I have to be able to protect them and help them," Thor smiled back, before looking at the floor number drop down. Jane looked up at them as well, silence settling between them. Before the elevator hit the main level, she stood up straight.

"You deserve Loki."

At this, the elevator ceased its slow drop, the familiar ding seeming strange to Thor's ears. "… Jane, we don't have to talk about him…"

"Okay, you lug," Jane warned as she walked out, pulling her friend out with her. "I want to now. Just once more before we have a Lokiless run. I know you deserve him, you should too. Hell, I know you could do even better! Thor, you'll hit a home run with him sooner or later, I have faith in you."

"Jane… Thank you." the blond said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. Jane punched him the arm and strode out of the building, her roommate following after.

"Come on, big guy. Let's go." the smaller of them laughed and began jogging, leaving Thor to stand by himself for a moment.

"Oh, Jane." he laughed, the sound coming out shaken. Taking a deep breath, he began running after her in the early morning sun.

* * *

No matter how hard Jane tried, Thor refused to attend Tony's party. The mid-morning fight lasted into the early afternoon, the small brunette following Thor around their apartment, yelling at him.

"Jane!" Thor stressed, turning on his heel and staring her down. "I am  _not_  going! I don't want to be there and have my friends annoyed by my attitude!"

"Ugh, Thor! Who cares about Loki!? You don't need to have him there! I'll be there!" Jane retorted, hands now on her hips. The blond rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"With Dan! Clint will be with Natasha, Bruce will be with his girl, and Tony will be trying to snatch Steve! I would only be a ninth wheel! I'd rather stay home." Thor frowned, watching his friend huff.

"… I'm going to ask one more time, Thor Odinson. Please come to the charity event tonight." Jane commanded, eyes narrowing to match the ones staring at her.

"And it's still a big fat no, Jane." Thor defended, adamant in his choice.

"I'm calling Tony then." the sentence simple, but hit the blond with the force of a freight train. He watched Jane stride across the living room, his feet seemingly nailed to the floor. When she picked up the cordless phone, his brain clicked into drive and he flew across the room.

"No! Jane! Don't you dare!" he yelled, Jane dashing away from him towards her room.

"This is for your own good, you lug!" she shot back as they ran down the hall. Thor reached out, almost able to grab the neck of Jane's shirt, be she slid to the side, tumbling into her room. The blond slid past her room, skidding to a stop a few feet past. Before he could reach the open door, it was slammed and locked in his face.

"Jane! Open the door! Don't call Tony! Please!"

"I gave you the chance!" Jane shouted back before dialing the familiar phone number, putting it to her ear. Thor continued to shout mercies through the door as the phone rang, someone picking up on the fourth sound off in her ear.

"Stark here. This better be good, Thor."

"It's Jane… Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Well, kinda." Tony muttered, running a hand through his messy hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Do you really want to know?" the older of them mused from the other side of the phone.

"... I know you didn't pick up the phone in the middle of sex again." Jane accused, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No shame, Jane, no shame." Tony laughed.

"Wait, who?"

"Oh, you'd love him. You'll meet him tonight." the billionaire said casually into the phone. Jane heard a strange voice groan Tony's name in exasperation and sighed heavily.

"Ugh. I'll call you back later." the brunette rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you soon, baby." Tony laughed and hung up the phone in her ear.

* * *

It had taken Tony but ten minutes to get over to their apartment, Jane had raced to the call box, beating Thor and pressing the button to grant the caller access to the building.

"Jane. I'm not talking to him." Thor vowed, watching the female lean against the closest wall.

"Yes you are. He left his bed and new play thing for you. You're talking to him."

"… Play thing? What?" Thor asked, utter confusion evident on his features. Jane raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"I'm guessing he's new to the group? Tony said I'd love him."

"… New? Wait, St-" the blond began, but a loud knock at their apartment door cut him off. The two residents swung around, the female of them quickly grabbing the door and yanking it open to reveal not one, but two men standing in front them.

"Tony!" Jane greeted.

"Jane!" Tony replied, before looking at the awe struck face Thor was wearing.

"Steve?"

"Uh, hey Thor." the blond smiled, running a hand through his hair.

"Steve? Is this the guy?" Jane asked, looking at Tony as he walked into the apartment after the taller male, shutting the door with his foot.

"Oh yeah, girl. That's him." the billionaire winked, watching Steve walk over to a confused Thor. Jane whistled quietly and leaned over, whispering now.

"Jesus almighty. He's gorgeous," she breathed. "You lucky son of a bitch."

"I know right? I got that Tony mojo back," the breaded man replied, elbowing the only female in the room. "Anyway, Thor! What the hell is going on, man?" Tony asked, walking over to the two taller men. Said male looked at Tony and frowned.

"I really don't want to talk about this. You're terrible at making me feel better, Tony." Thor sympathized. Tony snapped in the shape of a 'Z' and frowned.

"Oh no you didn't," the billionaire quipped. "You just have to march up there and tell him to get over himself. Just tell the guy how you feel, that you didn't mean anything by it. You  _were_ just trying to help, big guy." to this, Thor gave him a 'are you kidding me' look.

"I would never do that. As great of a friend you are, it should be illegal for you to give advice." Thor retorted.

"Hey! Name one time!"

"Um, remember when you told Clint how to ask out Natasha. He went to the emergency room… What? Five minutes after executing that brilliant plan?" the bigger of the two reminded him. Tony rolled his eyes and looked away.

"He didn't do it right."

"It was a stupid idea, Tony. Admit it." an awkward silence followed, no one knowing exactly what to say. Jane sighed and folded her arms across her chest, figuring this was going nowhere. Thor had never responded this way to Tony's advice, which caused the sole female great confusion. When it looked like the conversation was going nowhere, Steve coughed and smiled slightly, alerting the three adult's attention.

"May I suggest something?" he asked politely, stepping closer to the disagreeing males.

"Good luck with that." Tony rolled his eyes yet again. Thor glared at him and shrugged his shoulders towards Steve's question.

"Steve, ignore them. Please say something." Jane shook her head. Said male nodded slightly, before grabbing the two men by their closest shoulders. He led them to the couch and sat them down before standing before them.

"Thor, you don't have to worry about Loki. He has a hard time with trusting just about anybody. He's had a tough life. I know it's no excuse for his behaviour, but he will get over it eventually. His attitude shouldn't affect you going tonight! If you come, I'll keep you company. You won't be alone if that's what you're worried about." the blond male smiled. Tony gapped and pointed an accusing finger at his new lover.

"Objection, Rogers! We agreed you'd be my arm candy!" to this, Steve gave the older male a classic 'bitch please' look.

"Tony, your friend needs us now. I can still be your date. I'll stay with you for a half hour, enough time for you to introduce me to your fancy friends." the blond male assured him. Tony huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Thor looked at his brooding friend, and then towards his newest friend.

"You would really do that?"

"Of course, Thor. We are all here for you." Steve affirmed with a bright smile. Tony mumbled something before sighing heavily.

"Fine. But it has to be an hour, not a half hour." the oldest of the four challenged. Steve raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Or you could be dateless, Mr. Stark."

"You drive a hard bargain, Rogers. You win. Half hour." the billionaire agreed, although not pleased at his loss in the least. Thor smiled slightly and stood up, pulling Tony with him. He hugged both the men tight, earning grunts from each.

"Thank you Steve and Tony. I won't forget it." Thor vowed. Jane watched the scene unfold and smiled.

'God, I'm amazing,' she thought smugly, running a hand through her long brown hair. "So, who wants a beer?" she asked, smirking.

"Um, you have to ask?" Tony laughed, following the female into the kitchen.

"Just one, Tony! I can't drive an automatic!" Steve yelled, running into the kitchen after the two. Thor stood there and smiled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He looked up at the ceiling before shaking his head and following after the parade to the fridge.

* * *

_How are things with Thor going?_

_**He actually agreed to go. I'm shocked.** _

_jfc, please tell me the ways. =O_

_**I still have no clue what jfc means… Anyway, we went jogging and when we were done I brought it up. At first he was against it, that he didn't want to be alone or whatever. So I called Tony. :P** _

_Oh man! Serious business. Did he convince him?_

_**Surprisingly, no. Tony's new lover did. His name is Steve and let me tell you. He's fucking gorgeous. I can't even describe it.** _

_Oh me, oh my~ Sounds like hottie! Maybe I'll slip into the party if Loki goes!_

_**Please do. I'd laugh so hard. Speaking of Loki… Any progress?** _

_Well, we argued a bit ago, lol. He's been in his room playing Bon Iver on his guitar for hours. It's hard to tell if he will go. If he switches to Mumford and Sons, it's a solid no. However, if he changes his tune to Neutral Milk Hotel or Edward Sharpe and the Magentic Zeros, it'll be a yes. We shall see, bby!_

_**Neutral Milk Hotel? I really don't wanna know… Keep me posted, girl. Gotta pick up Dan from work now. Hopefully hear something from you soon. xoxo** _

_Kk! Love ya, girl! ttyl~_

With that, Lekný locked her phone and sighed before shoving the Blackberry into her bra. She leaned against the counter and sipped at her wine as one of the many Bon Iver songs came to an end. Minutes of silence enveloped the apartment, causing the female to stand up straight. When the played idea of talking to her brother proved a good one, she began to walk to towards the door. Making her way down the hallway, she stopped in her tracks when the strumming started up again. Curious green eyes looked down the hall as she heard her twin brother begin to sing.

"What a beautiful face I have found in this place, that is circling all-round the sun. What a beautiful dream that could flash on the screen, in a blink of an eye and be gone from me. Soft and sweet, let me hold it close and keep it here with me." the voice sang, ringing in the female's ears. A small smile stretched across her red painted lips while she leaned against the closest wall, wine glass still in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song at the end is "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel.


End file.
